Dirty December
by RositaLG
Summary: It's the third installment of the 25 Smutty Days of December. Play along on Twitter or read along here for all 25 days of Christmas.
1. Snail

**A/N: It's that time of year again! Happy December everyone, I hope that you are excited to join in this little tradition! (Three times makes a tradition, right?) A word of warning before we start: my computer is currently on its last breath. There is a new one on the way, but it might interrupt a day of posting if this one dies before the new one arrives. I'll still ask for a word on Twitter, it just might not get posted on the right day. Good news: I'll get to break in a laptop with copious amounts of smut writing! Let's get started, shall we? **

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December 1st: JMHaughey chose the word "snail". This could be considered a follow up to Ch. 14 in the Posting Board "RIP Ripley" and takes place after "The Finger in the Nest".

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"You keep looking at your watch." Brennan observed. "Am I keeping you from something because if so, you can…" She pointed towards the door.

"No!" He said just a little too quickly. "It's just that, Parker, you know, he's home now and I guess I keep waiting for the phone call and the yelling…" He drifted off, trying not to think about what could happen if Rebecca disapproved of his time with Parker.

"Booth, you have nothing to worry about. Mr. Starrett, my current intern on this case, said that the rhyme "snips and snails and puppy dog tails" is very accurate when it comes to boys. Apparently, this is normal behavior." She stated and Booth felt his heart grow a little bit at her reassurance. He was certain human remains were not, in fact, a normal discovery for young kids but hearing her say it did make him feel better.

"Hey, you want another?" Booth asked, changing the subject as he held up the wine bottle.

"Yes please." She nodded as he filled up her wine glass one more time. "I guess this case was stressful for both of us." She acknowledged as the bottle went dry.

"Look, Bones, you know, every once in a while, these cases, they sneak up on you. You got attached, it's okay. That's a good thing."

"I think that this case was harder on me because I never really got closure."

"Closure?" Booth furrowed his eyebrows. "From what?"

"From your death." She answered quietly. Booth's entire body sagged at her sad words and he immediately moved his chair to be closer to her.

"Oh, Bones…" He said as he reached for her hand.

"Ripley was a good, sweet dog who trusted his master to make the right decisions. And that loyalty, well, it got him killed. He didn't deserve to die and neither did you."

"I didn't die, Bones."

"You did. I was there, Booth. On the floor, in the ambulance, your heart stopped. You took a bullet for me."

"And it was a good thing I did because you ended up saving my life." He said as he squeezed her hand and smiled. "There's nothing tragic about it. We both survived."

Their eyes met and the room fell silent. Booth was more than aware that they had been having more and more of these quiet moments, when the world fell away and it was just them, communicating silently with each other in a way only they could.

Brennan finally cleared her throat and Booth took his hand away, both clearly uncomfortable at the intensity of the moment.

"I should probably get going." He didn't want to. "It's late and we've both had a long day…"

"You're welcome to stay here." She suggested. "The guest bedroom is all yours. I know that you have a bag of clothes in the car." He hesitated, not sure why she was asking, but there was something in the way she looked at him that he couldn't turn down.

"Okay." He replied. "Let me run downstairs. I'll be back." He said as he reached for his keys.

OOOOO

Booth stared at the clock on the bedside table. It was three AM, why the hell couldn't he sleep? He finally gave up and turned the small lamp on next to the bed and sat up. He knew why.

This was her house, her bed, the smell of her sheets: she was everywhere. His entire body was on alert from years of being on guard around her and he couldn't relax, not even with half a bottle of wine in his system. In fact, that probably only made it worse. His senses were on overdrive.

He heard a creak of the floorboards and he instinctively reached toward his gun before he remembered that he was staying in someone else's home. A soft knock, barely audible, came from his door and he pulled the sheet up a little higher on his body.

"Come in." He said.

"Hi." She said, clearly just as awake herself. "I saw the light on. Couldn't sleep?"

"No. You?" She shook her head and walked in. She stood before him in a tank top and tiny cotton pajama shorts that made her long legs seem impossibly longer. He realized he was probably staring slackjawed at his partner and he looked at her face again, but she was staring at his chest with a concerned look that Booth could barely make out in the dim light.

"Sorry." She said as she too realized she was staring. "I haven't seen it without the bandages." She said as she pointed to the scar on his chest.

"Oh, right." He said as he looked down at the small scar. "Let me put a t-shirt on…" He said as he started for his clothes.

"No, I mean, it's okay." She waved him off. "Do you mind if I…?" She asked as she pointed to it.

"Um, no. Go ahead." He said awkwardly as she closed the distance between them and sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed. She ran her finger tip slowly over the exposed flesh and he felt a chill run down his spine. She was looking at him with her analytical face but her fingers were feather light as they brushed over the scar.

"They did an excellent job removing the bullet. Very minimal tissue damage…" She commented, trying to maintain a professional demeanor but he heard the heartache in her voice. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear about your surgeon's skill at this time of night. I should let you sleep." She said, clearly wanting to run away. She stood up, ready to leave him alone again.

"Bones." She paused and turned around. "It wasn't your fault." He told her, reading her mind.

"She was there to kill me." She whispered. "Why did you have to stand up?" She asked him, and he knew from experience that it was a question she had been asking herself for a long time. "I would have gladly taken that bullet instead."

"No, don't say that." He said as he stood up.

"It's true!"

"I wouldn't know what to do with myself if anything happened to you." He confessed. "I need you around. And I know that life is short, and everyone has a number, I get that, but I've lost enough people in my life, I'll be damned if I'm going to lose you too." She stood there for a second, contemplating what he had just said, and then they were kissing, her hands pressed against his flushed chest as his arms wrapped around her. Finally, she pulled away.

"I'm sorry." She said as she backed away and covered her lips with her fingers. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No, Bones, I..."

"There's a line." She said aloud, mostly for her own benefit. "There's a line and almost losing you is no excuse for crossing it. Actually, it's all the more reason to not cross it." He closed the distance between them. "I'm so sorry. I don't…"

"Bones? Stop talking." Booth commanded as he leaned in and kissed her again, this time taking control of the situation. He felt her give in and suddenly, she became pliant in his arms. Their bodies molded together and everything just fit. He pulled away to catch his breath and Brennan's eyes were wide and hazy.

"I think we're getting better at this." She confessed.

"Third time is a charm?" He suggested. She grinned and went in for another kiss, unable to resist the challenge. This time, they didn't pull away, falling into bed as his wandering lips explored her neck and chest.

"Oh God, what are we doing?" She asked out loud as she stared at her ceiling.

"Living in the moment." Booth stated as he tugged her tank top up and over her head.

"And you're not going to regret it tomorrow?" She asked, even as she was wiggling out of her own shorts.

"Hey, you promised me that would never happen." He said seriously before cracking a smile. She grinned against his mouth as he kissed her playfully. He lost himself in the kiss as Brennan's hands worked to tug at the drawstring of his sweatpants. He kicked them off the end of the bed before turning his attention back to his partner. She took him by surprise, flipping him onto his back.

"Then I guess I have a promise to keep." She grinned as she stroked him and he clutched the blanket underneath him in restraint.

_Lord, help him._

Her lips traveled down his chest and he couldn't help but watch in amazement. He had thought about this moment so many times and now that it was actually happening, he couldn't believe it was real.

He pulled her up for another hot kiss, unable to stop kissing her now that he was allowed to finally do so. The kiss distracted her long enough to let him roll to the top again. He let his hands wander as he kissed her passionately.

"Mmm," Brennan hummed as she arched off the bed at his touch. His nervous system rioted at the sound and he wondered if she was loud in bed. If so, he didn't think he'd survive it. He spread her legs and tested her with a finger. She moaned as he let his fingertip slip inside of her and she bit her lip. "Booth…" She complained, clearly frustrated. "Please." He removed his finger and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, refusing to cooperate in his teasing any more. He watched her eyes flutter shut before he had to close his own.

God, she felt _right._

"_Yes_." Brennan hissed. "Oh yes." She met his hips as they fell into an instant rhythm. If he didn't know better, Booth would have sworn that they had done this before because they connected on every level. She called out his name as she began to quake underneath him and he came hard, spilling inside her. They both wilted into the mattress, totally spent, their bodies finally relieved of years of pent up frustration.

"Oh my god." Booth finally murmured as he caught his breath. "That was incredible."

"No regrets?" She added with a smile.

"None." He replied.

"Good. Me either. In fact, I wouldn't complain if it happened again." He smiled at her answer.

"Oh it's definitely happening again." He agreed.

"But you know what they say…" She teased as she slowly laid out over top of him again and kissed his chest.

"Practice makes perfect?" He grinned as she nipped at his jaw playfully.

"It's the third time that's the charm." She purred, stealing his line from earlier.

Challenge accepted, he thought as he pulled the sheets over their heads, cocooning them in the dark.


	2. Fondue

A/N: This is a big moment for me. This is the last thing I will ever write on this laptop. Sigh. From the start, everything I've ever written for Bones has been on here and now I bid it adieu. I couldn't think of a better way to say goodbye than some good ol' fashioned December smut. You done real good, Lappy but now it's time to hang up the power cord.

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Dec. 2nd: Natesmama1128 chose the word "fondue". Yep, that's right, we made it a full 24 hours before pulling out the kinky food sex. I'm proud of you all. Keep it coming. :)

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"Oh no." Booth said with a chuckle as he glanced at the present in his hand.

"Another one?!" Brennan sighed incredulously.

"What does that make three?"

"Four. Four fondue pots." She said as she took the wrapping from him and stuffed the trash bag a little fuller. "What part of marriage indicates that we will be eating fondue at all, let alone enough that we would require four fondue pots?"

"I have no idea."

"Also, what is the point of registering for all those items if we didn't receive any of them?" She asked as she added the pot to the pile of gifts to return.

"You're upset because you wasted a Saturday?"

"Yes." She said. "We got married very quickly, that time could have been spent doing other tasks."

"Other tasks that would have fallen through anyway after your mother burned down the church."

"My mother did not burn down the church! You cannot blame her for this. You were the one who lit the candle."

"I'm just saying…she hates me."

"She does not hate you. And even if she does, she's dead, she doesn't get an opinion."

"Have you ever_ seen_ a horror movie?" He asked. "This is how they start. An angry ghost, a church burns down, unsuspecting newlyweds move into a new house built over a cursed ancient burial ground."

"Did you check the property for ancient burial grounds before you bought it?" She asked. He snapped his fingers.

"I knew I was forgetting something." He said seriously before winking.

"I swear you're antagonizing me more now that we're married." She said as she rolled her eyes.

"We're married." He said as he pushed the gift pile aside to crawl over top of her.

"Yes. We are. We have been for days now. Are you going to grin like that every time someone mentions it?"

"Yes. I am." He nodded before kissing her. "You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because we're married." He grinned even wider and she playfully pushed him off of her.

"You're incorrigible."

"And you're stuck with me." He said with another grin as he trapped her against the couch.

"Christine will be awake any second." She reminded him as she glanced at the clock.

"Then we better be fast." He said as he reached for his belt.

"Mm, my husband: the romantic." She teased as she shifted to the floor anyway. As if on cue, Christine began to call down from her crib. Booth sighed as he hung his head. "I told you." Brennan grinned.

"We'll continue this later." He promised.

OOOOO

Brennan had finally gotten Christine bathed and in bed that evening when she heard Booth rustling around in the kitchen. She glanced at the time and wondered what he could possibly be making. She headed down the steps and peeked into the kitchen.

"There she is. Come on in. Don't be shy." Booth grinned as he continued cutting strawberries. Brennan took a look around before she realized what he was doing.

"Tell me you didn't…" She sighed as she sat down at the counter.

"Oh, I did." He said as he stirred the chocolate fondue in the new pot. "I decided to keep two of the fondue pots. One for chocolate and one for cheese." He said as he motioned to the counter. "I figured we could try out the chocolate one tonight for dessert."

"So while I was wrestling a one year old into her pajamas, you were melting chocolate?" She said, unimpressed.

"I was preparing a date night for my beautiful wife." He said as he flashed his charm smile at her and she shook her head, but smiled none the less. "Here, it's ready. Take this." He said as he handed her a skewer. "I got pineapple, strawberries, and bananas. Take your pick." She watched as he he picked up his own skewer and stabbed a piece of banana. She followed his lead, stabbing a piece of strawberry and dipping it in chocolate.

"This is good." He commented as he glanced over at her. "Oh, here." He smiled as he motioned for her to come closer. "You've got a bit of chocolate right…there." He said as swiped the corner of her mouth and showed her the chocolate on his finger. She gave him a daring look before sucking the finger into her mouth.

"Mmm." She hummed and she watched Booth's eyes grow darker. "That is good." She agreed with a devilish smirk. "Here, try mine." She offered as she dipped a strawberry in the chocolate, removed it from her skewer and fed it to him on her fingers. He greedily licked the chocolate off her skin and Brennan felt her nipples harden in jealousy.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Booth asked hoarsely.

"I'll bring the fruit. You grab the chocolate." She said as she jumped off her barstool. She raced him to the bedroom and promptly cleared a bedside table and set the fruit down on it. Booth was right behind and set up the chocolate in place of the lamp. Booth smirked as she began undressing as fast as she could.

"I want to slather you in chocolate and lick you from head to toe." He confessed hotly in her ear.

"Good because I want you to." She agreed quickly as she lay a few towels down on the bed. As soon as she was situated, Booth grabbed a spoon.

"Hold still." He commanded as he drizzled warm chocolate over her breasts and stomach. He picked up a piece of pineapple and ran it over one breast before popping it in his mouth. Brennan tried not to squirm as she anticipated his mouth following the pineapple's trail. Never one to disappoint, Booth's tongue went straight to work, laving up the chocolate and pineapple juice off her breast.

"Oh yes…" She moaned as he sucked her nipple into his mouth. He moved a strawberry over the next breast and continued his work. Brennan's fingers clutched his hair as his tongue danced down her body, cleaning chocolate off her until she was vibrating with desire.

"Mm, I think you're ready." He smiled as he took a strawberry from the bowl. Brennan watched as he slowly spread her thighs and ran the strawberry through her wet folds. He popped the strawberry in his mouth and closed his eyes. "Oh god, that's good." He moaned in delight. She felt herself grow even wetter at the erotic sight and she had to touch her breasts to relieve the tension that was growing there yet again. Booth opened his eyes and saw her rubbing herself and he grinned. "Alright, enough with the games." He decided as he buried himself between her thighs.

"Ohhh." Brennan purred as his tongue set to work driving her mad. She had never considered herself someone who got lost in sex before she met Booth. Sex was a sport, like exercising. But she had always trusted Booth enough to let go completely. He owned her, body and soul. "Mmm, Booth…Booth!" She begged, getting closer and closer to the release she so desperately wanted. She gasped as her world shattered around her and she let the pleasure rumble through her. Booth's hands firmly grasped her thighs as she rode out the intense orgasm.

When she finally looked down again, he was wiping his mouth on his t-shirt before tossing it to the floor.

"I'm starting to see the appeal of the fondue pots." She relented.

"Mmhm, and we're just getting started." He promised.


	3. Languid

A/N: Thanks for reading!

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Dec. 3rd: Some1tookmyname chose the word "languid". This takes place in early days.

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It was ungodly hot.

Booth knew heat. He had traversed the deserts of Africa, wandered through the jungles of Central America, even tackled the humidity of the swamplands.

This was ungodly hot.

He set another ice pack down on his neck and tried to lay very still.

"It's so hot in here." Brennan whined as she walked into his bedroom. She was in a tank top and denim short shorts and her hair was in a messy bun. There was sweat dabbling her hair line and she somehow managed to pull the look off. "Do you have any idea how long the power will be out?" She asked as she picked up an ice cube from the bowl next to him and rubbed it over her neck.

"Nope. Heat wave like this, it could be a few days." He muttered, unable to move from his spot.

"It's too hot to breathe." She complained.

"You need another cold shower." He suggested languidly, never opening his eyes.

"What I need is a distraction." She hinted and he just shook his head.

"What happened to last time being the last time? Too many complications, hiding it from everyone?" He asked honestly. She moved to straddle him over the couch but refused to answer him.

"It was. Is. This is different."

"So was the time before that." He smirked.

"Come on. I'll do all the work." She sing-sang to him before grinding herself into his lap. His body reacted of course, despite his brain protesting, and she smirked against his jaw. "Mm, I'll take that as a yes."

Within two moves, her shirt and shorts were on the floor and Booth learned that she had been naked under her clothes.

"God that's so sexy." He murmured as she stood naked in front of him. Booth kicked off his shorts and she straddled him again, moving slowly. She pressed her chest against his as she nibbled at his earlobe.

"Are you ready for me?" She asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He answered honestly. She guided herself down over him and despite the heat in the room, he saw her shiver. She would never admit it, but she needed this, needed him. And once he'd had the taste of her, there was no denying her anymore. He could never say no.

He bit her neck and she let out a small hiss that went straight to his cock. He held her by the hips, clutching them tighter and tighter as they fucked each other slowly.

"Booth…" She moaned and it sounded far away. He looked up at her face and despite being contorted in ecstasy, the voice was clearer now. "Booth! Booth!?"

Booth started awake as he stared at his living room ceiling.

"Are you home?" Brennan called out.

"In here." He attempted to shout but it only came out as a hoarse whimper. It was then that he remembered why he was in bed. He was home sick.

She turned the corner and stopped dead in her tracks.

"You look terrible." She said honestly as she sat down at his bed side. She felt his forehead. "What's your temperature?" She asked.

"Last I checked, 102." He replied lethargically, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"I'm checking again." She said, clearly not trusting his judgment. "Let me get you another cold press." She said as she stood up.

"You should go back to work." He murmured. "I can take care of…" he paused to cough.

"Yourself? I don't think so." She said as she returned from the bathroom. "I am not leaving you alone like this." She said as she pressed the cold wash cloth to his head. "Besides, what did you just teach me the other day: it's what partners do?" She responded, throwing his words at him. "Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

And that was the last thing he heard.


	4. Pen

Dec. 4th: Luverofthings chose the word: "pen". Season four, just because I said so.

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"What are you doing tonight?" Brennan asked as she finished the last of her wine.

"The Pens are on tonight. I was gonna watch." Booth replied as he popped a cashew into his mouth. "What about you?"

"I have to finish my manuscript tonight. It's due next week and I don't know when I'll get a chance to finish the last chapter."

"Finished manuscript! Can I read it?" He prodded her ribs with his finger, asking the age old question just to annoy her. She knew this game and promptly changed the subject.

"I've always wondered: is the singular of Pens 'Pen'? Would you say that an individual on the team is a Pen? And wouldn't that give the impression that they were, in fact, playing for a team that had a writing utensil as a mascot instead of a flightless bird? Wouldn't it be better to call them 'The Spheniscinae' to avoid confusion?" She asked, hitting him where it hurt. He raised his hands in surrender and she laughed heartily at his pained face.

"Message received." He said as he stood up and began fishing his wallet out of his pocket.

"This one's on me." She said as she waved him off. He paused and even she recognized his interrogation face.

"Yeah?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah. I'm going to stay here for a while, see if inspiration strikes." She informed him.

"I can stick around and keep you company if you want. I mean, just until it does strike." He offered.

"What about your game?" She asked.

"DVR." He shrugged. "I can watch it another time. Besides, what kind of gentleman would I be if I left you alone in a bar."

"I've been alone in bars before. This very one, in fact." She informed him as he sat back down. The bartender brought over another glass of wine and Booth ordered another beer.

"It's just the principle of the thing." He said, not going into specifics. "Go ahead, write away. I'll just sit here quietly and watch the game up there." He said as he motioned to the TV on the wall.

"Silently?" Brennan raised an eyebrow.

"Yep. Scout's honor." He said. She debated questioning whether or not he was even a scout, and if so, what the statute of limitations was on the honor of their code but something told her that they had moved beyond the teasing. He was being serious, so she let him sit next to her as she pulled out her laptop and began to type.

OOOOO

Four hours later, the game was over, Brennan's manuscript was long forgotten and Booth and Brennan were drunkenly arguing over the best place to get tacos at one AM in the city.

"I'm just saying, I've had better." She maintained.

"These are the best tacos outside of… you know what? I'm done. I swear; you do this just to provoke me." Booth said seriously, but a big, happy smile was plastered across his face and his eyes were sparkling at her, just as Agent Perotta had observed a few weeks before. Brennan felt herself warm from the inside out at the knowledge that she was the cause for such obvious joy.

"We should have taken a taxi." Brennan commented. "It has to be below freezing."

"Well it's…" Booth stopped to check his watch, unable to look down and walk at the same time, "1:30 in the morning. Taxis are hard to come by. Besides, we're nearly there." He said as he pointed to her building. Brennan hurried up the steps and slipped on a bit of ice on the top step.

"Whoops." Booth said as he caught her in his arm and pulled her close to save her from hitting her head on the cement railing of the stoop. "You okay?" He asked quietly as he got her back on her own two feet.

"Yeah." She replied breathlessly. "A little dizzy." She confessed, but something told her it wasn't the wine. He brushed the windblown hair out of her face to examine her better. But as Booth stared into her eyes, checking her for injuries, Brennan felt her stomach clench. Before she knew what she was doing, she was pushing him up against the stoop and kissing him senseless. Much to her surprise, he kissed her right back and she felt her body ringing with a depth of pent up energy that she didn't know she had inside her until that very moment.

"Inside." Booth suggested, his lips still attached to hers as if removing them would break the spell between them. Brennan kissed him one more time and turned around to unlock her front door. She took his cold, rough hand and led him up the stairs to her apartment. She quickly unlocked her apartment door and ushered him inside after her.

She took a passing glance in the mirror and noticed her cheeks were flushed, either from the cold or the kiss, she couldn't tell. When she turned around again, Booth was removing her winter coat from behind her.

"Thank you." She said as she slipped from it. He took off his own coat and hung it up. As soon as she was able, her hands began to wander. His suit jacket was shoved off his shoulders as she ran her hands over the white dress shirt longingly. The tie around his neck had disappeared ages ago, shoved into a pocket somewhere.

"Bones…" Booth said as he removed her hands from his body. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I gotta ask… would this be happening if we were sober?"

"I don't know." She said honestly. "I have found you sexual appealing for quite some time and I've definitely considered…" She trailed off, letting his imagination fill in the blanks. She glanced down at his hands and she could practically see them itching to undress her. "Haven't you thought about this? After that first time, I mean…" She asked as she closed the distance between them, inviting him to put his hands on her. "Haven't you had those moments where you just wanted to reach out and touch me, kiss me,_ fuck_ _me_?" She purred, teasing him in a way that was almost cruel. His fingers drummed against his thigh, desperate to stay occupied as he fought the answer that she could so clearly read on his lips.

"Oh God yes." He said as he finally broke and grabbed her face and kissed her. He pushed her up against the wall of the hallway and she curled her leg around his, encouraging the action. He pushed her arms up against the wall and they locked hands. A low moan involuntarily broke from the back of her throat and Booth swallowed the sound, taking the vibration into his own body.

"Oh yes, touch me." She begged, wanting to feel his hands all over her. She ground into him, using the wall as leverage as she pressed herself against him. Booth unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and pulled it over his head and threw it aside. Brennan let out another long moan at the sight of his perfect chest. Her hands wandered over his abs as she reached for his belt and dropped his pants to the floor. While he was stepping out of his pants, Brennan removed her shirt and bra and lost her skirt.

"Wait." Booth murmured, wanting to finish undressing her himself. He took a step back and ran his hands down her torso. His hands once again nearly made her go dizzy with need. How could one pair of hands drive her so crazy? He kissed her breasts, and then her torso as he slowly lowered her panties around her ankles. Brennan had to lean against the wall as her legs spread, her body expecting his mouth to continue its path directly to her swollen clit. She whimpered as he stopped just under her belly button, kissing the flat expanse of her stomach and pausing.

"Booth." She cried, unable to stand it. "Please…" She begged. Her entire body was craving him and she knew that she was already broken by him. She would do anything he asked of her.

His hands ran back the way they had come as he moved up her sides and pressed her arms above her head again. Her entire body shivered at the action. He moved in and they were left completely against each other, even the palms that were locked above their heads were squeezed tight.

"Kiss me." He requested and Brennan couldn't explain why it felt like a test. She hesitated before closing her eyes and kissing him slowly. She felt her body melt into his, removing the space between them until she couldn't distinguish whose body was whose. She felt so connected with him that she barely registered that she had wrapped her legs around his waist. And when he finally, _finally,_ thrust deep and slowly inside of her, she was certain the space between them disappeared entirely. She moaned as he moved slowly and confidently, triggering every nerve ending in her body. She kissed him desperately, her tongue unable to stand still when he was evoking such passion from within her. She clutched at his back and he sped up, the desire between them dissolving into unadulterated need. Her back left the wall as she arched forward, her body too wrought with tension to behave. Booth dropped her hands and held onto her by the ass, pressing her into him even tighter and she felt herself begin to unravel. She pulled him close and gasped sharply into his shoulder as she came, hurdling through the most intense sexual experience she could remember. She panted through the aftershocks as Booth exploded inside her, pulsating through his own climax.

As they both slowly came to their senses, Booth lowered her to her feet again and pressed his forehead to her shoulder. Her fingers danced along the nape of his neck as she held him tightly. When he finally looked into her eyes, she was surprised by the uncertainty she saw reflected back at her. The man who had just made sure and steady love to her in her hallway was gone and in his place was the insecure man she had only seen a few vulnerable times. She could practically hear the question he was asking her.

What happens next?

Unable to answer, she kissed him once more and took his hand. She led him slowly back to her bedroom.

For now, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and lull him to sleep.

They could figure the hard parts out tomorrow.


	5. Eyeglasses

A/N: A short one today because I had a long day and The Sound of Music is on and my head hurts.

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Dec. 5th: Frankie707 chose the word "eyeglasses".

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"How did it go?"

"Geez!" Booth started as Brennan nearly pounced on him, but she didn't care. She was so curious, she could barely stand it. "Hi honey, how was your day?" He flashed an artificial smile as he took off his jacket. She sighed at the attitude but kept focused.

"It was wonderful. How was _yours_?" She asked.

"Fine."

"Did you get them?"

"Yes." He sighed, obviously losing the battle of wills.

"Well?"

"Well what?" He asked. "They're reading glasses, Bones. It's not a big deal." She stared at him. After all the fuss he had made about needing eyeglasses in the first place, he wasn't fooling anyone.

When she had first recommended he get his vision checked, he had rolled his eyes and reminded her that he was a world class sniper who had "eagle eyes". She told him if that was true then he had nothing to lose by getting them checked out. It was clear after his appointment that while he did have superior long range vision, his eyes were now struggling with reading things close up. If he wanted to keep reading the paper in the morning, something had to change. She had volunteered to go with him to select a pair but he shrugged her off. So instead, she gave him his space, but the waiting had nearly killed her.

"Well, if it's not a big deal, you won't have a problem showing me what you chose." She smiled.

"If I show you, will you let me sit down?" He asked as he pulled out a small box from his coat pocket.

"Mmhm." She said as she pressed her lips together in excitement. She had been trying to picture him in glasses but she had only ever really seen him in sunglasses. She bit her lip and waited to see the results as he slipped them on. She stared blankly as she took in the thin metal frames. They were just standard reading glasses but they completely changed the look of his face.

"That bad?" Booth asked as he moved to take them off.

"No…" She swatted his hand away from his face. "That good." She said as she tried to pinpoint the exact cause of her sudden arousal. Booth furrowed his eyebrows at her comment.

"You like 'em?" He asked. She smirked as she knew exactly how to answer his question. She moved in close.

"I want you to take them off very slowly and ask me if I know what the penalty is for an overdue book." She confessed quietly. The memory caught him by surprise but the slow grin that slid over his features let her know that he recalled his statement to her so many years before.

"_That_ good?" He questioned as he raised his eyebrow. Brennan nodded and kissed him.

"Take me into the office?" She requested.

"Yeah?" Booth grinned as he tugged on her hip. Brennan nodded.

"Christine is at her Woodchucks meeting with Katie for another 45 minutes." She conspired quietly, her low voice dripping with wantonness. "And I think that I have been very, _very, _bad." She informed him as she trailed a finger down his chest and headed toward the sturdiest desk in the house.

"I think I'm going to like having glasses." Booth declared out loud as he followed her down the hall.


	6. Wax

Dec. 6th: Thorteso chose the word "wax". Just under the wire! EEK! Probably errors, but whatever. I'll re-read tomorrow.

OOOOO

Booth's birthdays had notoriously been low key affairs. He didn't have a lot of family and close friends were hard to come by when you constantly moved every time the Army needed someone killed on the sly. He'd usually get a dinner with Parker, a phone call from Jared and Pops, free pie from the ladies at the diner and then head home.

And then he'd met her.

Before he even knew it was happening, he'd found himself in the middle of a family. Then Cam moved to DC and two stages of his life merged a little closer. Bones met and got to know his son, his brother, his grandfather, and pretty soon, he couldn't tell where one part of his life ended and the other began.

He stared at the long forgotten pile of candles pulled from his cake in haste and left abandoned on the counter to cool and he remembered his mother. She was the one who taught him that each candle held a wish and that by blowing it out, you could release the magic burning inside. But tonight, instead of making a wish, he'd found himself counting his blessings. He'd had a hell of a year, and nearly dying twice left its mark on a man. As he counted all of the things he had to be grateful for, he realized that none of them would have ever been possible without her.

It was Brennan who brought the ragtag group of scientists (and one displaced artist) into his life. She was the reason Cam wanted to work at the Jeffersonian. She even kicked Jared's ass into line and got him to be loyal enough to lose his job in exchange for his brother's life. She was the one who talked Rebecca into letting him spend more time with Parker and she was absolutely the reason he hadn't gambled since the second he laid eyes on her. She was the reason they had caught the Gravedigger, and every other evil person they had locked away since the day they'd first crossed paths. Her voice was the reason he'd woken up from his coma, and the reason he'd wanted to stay in it for so long.

He picked the candles up off the counter and tossed them in the trash, trying not to think about the fact that he was throwing away the remnants of his wishes.

He believed that burning candles could release wishes into the universe and bring magic into your life.

She believed that wax would melt all over the top of your cake if you didn't hurry up and just blow them out already.

He smiled at the new memory as he felt her enter the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" She asked as she threw the last of the paper plates away.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"About what?"

"My mom actually." He saw the flit of surprise dance across Brennan's face. He didn't volunteer a lot of information about her and while it was clear Brennan was curious, she didn't press him for information. He felt his heart swell at the solidarity, and for some reason, he felt safe enough to continue on the subject. "She told me when I was little that each candle held a wish inside it, and that you could wake up the wish by lighting the candle, and then release it when you blew the candle out. I used to watch the smoke fly into the air and pray that my wishes came true." Brennan smiled at the image of a young Booth wishing on candles.

"Our homes were very different." She acknowledged with a small grin. "My father used birthday candles to teach me about oxygen and ignition points." Booth chuckled.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I wished for?"

"Would you tell me?" She asked, knowing he wouldn't.

"No." He grinned. "Then it wouldn't come true."

"And you want it to come true." Brennan stated, but he heard a gentle teasing in her voice.

"More than anything." He said seriously. Brennan stared at him for a moment.

"Birthdays make you even more sentimental than usual." She noted, her teasing tone replaced with an observant one.

"Yeah, I guess they do." He said, knowing she was right. Only the year before, Booth had realized his brother was doing a stellar impersonation of his father. Booth had always wondered if he might have been able to do something different if he hadn't been so small, if he hadn't been just a kid. Maybe he could have helped in some way, gotten help from someone, told someone what was happening. Instead, Booth had been slapped by the realization that even at 40, he'd felt just as helpless and alone as that ten year old kid hiding in the closet.

But he hadn't been alone, he recalled. She was right beside him, offering to sit in sad silence and share a slice of birthday cake, just out of solidarity.

"It's like Christmas for me." She acknowledged quietly. Booth looked up in surprise at her intimate confession. "Holidays can be very difficult for people like us."

"Yeah." He nodded, completely undone by her simple sentence. People like us. She knew exactly what it meant to be so happy and so sad at the same time. She knew what it meant to miss people you wanted to hate more than anything.

She understood.

"Do you want a hug?" She asked, opening her arms. "You always offer to hug me and it usually helps." He smiled at the sincere offer and nodded. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. All at once, his mind settled and there was just her, sunk against his body, holding him close. She pulled away slightly and examined his face.

"Did it help?"

"Immensely." He smiled. "You are an excellent hugger."

"No. What I am is an excellent student, and I learned from the best." She smiled. Booth felt his heart leap into his throat and his body acted on instinct. He pulled her a little closer, placed a hand on her cheek, and kissed her softly. He pulled away again, immediately hoping he could play it off as a friendly kiss but Brennan's eyes had gone dark and he knew that there was no going back from this.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, wanting to just cut to the cost of the liberty he had just taken.

"After your surgery, when you told me that you loved me, you meant it." She realized.

"I did, yes." He managed to reply quietly, despite the fact that his throat was swelling shut out of nerves.

"But you changed your mind, changed your sentence. Why did you do that?" She asked him. He looked at her and decided he had nothing to lose.

"Because I was scared." He said simply. "I was scared of scaring you with my feelings. I was scared you wouldn't feel the same way. I was scared you might." He added. "Look, Bones, in the last eighteen months, I've almost died three times." He informed her. "That sort of risk, it forced me to confront something I had been trying to hide for quite some time." He reached down for her hand. "I _was_ scared that night, terrified actually, but the more I think about it, the more I know that it's okay to be scared, as long as I have you to give me a hug now and then." He said honestly. "So I'm not going to lie to you anymore. You don't have to feel the same way. Nothing has to change, I just…I need you to know how I feel. I love you." He said firmly, despite the fact that his heart was racing and his knees were jelly. Brennan stayed silent for a bit longer, carefully contemplating his words.

"I don't know how I feel." She said simply. "I do know that I care about you, more than I care about myself. I want to protect you, make you happy again, because if you're not okay, then I'm not either." Booth nodded.

"Yes." He agreed. "See? Me too. Good."

"But because I want what's best for you, I can't be with you." She confessed. "I'm not…I'm not a good person for you, Booth. I'll hurt you."

"Why would you hurt me? How could you?" He asked, not believing her for a second.

"I don't even know if I believe in love! You believe that candles hold magic inside them and that Santa Claus and God are both real. You have an open heart that you give freely to anyone who walks by and I can't even trust the person I believe in most." She cried, getting frustrated.

"You have more heart than anyone I've ever met." He said, not buying her excuses. She sighed and turned away, unable to deal with the conversation. "Look, it's as simple as brains and guts, Bones. You taught me to believe in the truth, even if it hurts, even if we don't want to hear it, right?" She nodded, recalling their recent conversation after the JFK case. "So let me teach you about the guts. You know that voice inside your head telling you that you can't do something, that you're not good enough? I have it in spades. You know I do." He informed her and she paused, something registering in her eyes. "Sometimes, the guts just have to tell the brain to go fuck itself." He said bluntly. "You're Dr. Temperance Brennan. You can do anything. You just said it yourself: you're an excellent student." He said, using her previous statement against her. "So learn this." He begged. "At least try. You're already better than you think you are." Booth kept his eyes on her, hoping to read some sign of her verdict before she spoke.

"What happens if it fails?" She asked, their shared concern coming out.

"Then it fails and we tried. Sometimes, experiments go wrong." He acknowledged. "But when I was on that ship, were you thinking about the fights we'd had in the past, or were you thinking about all the things you never said?" He asked her. "Because I sure as hell was wishing I'd had just ten more minutes with you." Brennan looked up into his eyes. "I never want to feel that way again, Bones." Brennan sighed as she took in his request and his eager, desperate eyes.

"Okay." She decided. "If you're willing to take the chance, remove that line between us, then I am as well."

"Really?" He asked, wanting her to be sure. She nodded and he smiled.

"What?" She asked.

"You were my birthday wish, Bones." He admitted. "I wished for you." She got her own sentimental look and shook her head at his ridiculousness.

"You already had me." She confessed quietly before leaning up on her toes to kiss him once again. He swept her up in his arms and kissed her with all that he had. This time, he didn't break the kiss, and neither did she. They stumbled towards the bedroom, never fully separating, yet managing to remove pieces of clothing as they went. When they finally got to where they were going, they undressed frantically, desperate for each other. Booth lay her down on his bed and she wrapped her long pale leg around his waist. It was an invitation that he gladly accepted and as he continued kissing her neck, she sighed and ground into him.

When he finally pushed himself into her, he moved slowly, as if either one of them would break at any moment. It was intense, this thing between them, and he wanted to respect the intimacy of the moment. He clenched his jaw as they moved together in unison, finding their rhythm together. He could feel her silent panting, warm on his cheek, and it sped up as he drove her closer and closer to release. He pulled away just enough to watch in awe as she began to show the signs of her oncoming orgasm. Her eyes fluttered shut and her hand came up to clutch the back of his neck. She pressed her lips together and Booth couldn't resist pulling her a little closer. He gasped as she took him even deeper.

"Booth." She cried as she tried to hold on tighter. He felt his concentration slip at the breathy, moaning way his name fell from her lips in ecstasy. "Yes…yes…" She purred, letting the passion begin to crest between them.

"Bones, oh Bones." He murmured against her neck as she came hard, pulling him into her until he had no choice but to join her and gave into the glorious waves battering his body.

She released him as his lifeless body collapsed next to her but quickly rolled on top of him and laid her head on his chest.

"Happy birthday, Booth." She murmured as she placed a hand lovingly on his chest. His heart skipped a beat at the sentence and he could have sworn he felt her smile against his skin knowingly.

"Thanks, Bones." He replied as he kissed the top of her head and held her tight against his body.

And in the dark, he let himself believe that maybe candles really did hold some magic within them.


	7. Tattoo

Dec. 7th: Sunsetdreamer chose the word "tattoo". Because some holiday traditions are just here to stay.

OOOOO

Booth had been dreading the last hour as Brennan finally trudged in and set her bag down on the counter. He could tell just by looking at her that she was exhausted and he was about to add to her tension instead of relieve it.

"Long day?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around her. She melted into him and his heart melted right along with her. He smiled as she buried her face into his chest for a moment.

"I'm very glad to be home." She said honestly, choosing to not answer his question. His face must have shown his concern at that statement because she suddenly pulled away. "What?" She asked.

"It's nothing, it's just…" He tried to come up with a gentle way to say what he needed to say.

"Booth… what is it?" She asked.

"Christine was called into the principal's office today."

"What?! Why?! What happened?" She demanded more information.

"She was, um, giving the other children tattoos?" He explained hesitantly.

"I don't understand."

"She stole a black permanent marker from the art room and was drawing tattoos on the other kids at recess." Brennan stared at him confused. Booth pulled his phone off the counter and flipped to his email. "Look familiar?" He asked as the images of tiny wrists covered in black scribbles appeared.

"She was giving them _your_ tattoos? Why would she do that?"

"When we asked her that same question, she told us that tattoos were 'culturally significant'." He said with a small smile. He couldn't help it. His five year old was a genius and it made him proud, no matter what the principal said.

"I told her that. Oh god." She said as she covered her face. "Did she get in a lot of trouble?"

"No, she was just reprimanded and told that she was not allowed to draw on the other students." Brennan finally started to chuckle at the situation they found themselves in.

"Where is she now?"

"In her room. I told her that she would have to stay there until bedtime."

"And she listened?"

"She was down every 8 minutes." He grinned. Brennan nodded and glanced longingly down the hall. "Go ahead. Be the good cop." Booth groaned. "Tuck her in. I'm sure she's still awake." Brennan just kissed him in appreciation before eagerly heading up the steps. Booth followed her up, not wanting to miss a thing.

He found his daughter sprawled out on her bedroom floor, her favorite blanket clutched tightly under her arm. She was sound asleep. Brennan was pulling down the sheets on her bed, preparing to move her.

"I got her." He whispered as he reached down and scooped the child up off the floor. He set her down gently in her bed and Brennan tucked her in.

"Mommy?" The small groggy voice whispered, despite the fact that Christine's eyes were still closed.

"I'm right here, baby. Go back to sleep." Brennan whispered as she kissed her daughter's forehead.

"I'm in trouble." Christine informed her mother. "I colored on kids at school."

"I heard that. But you're not going to do it again, right?" Christine shook her head. "Good girl. We love you. Sleep well." Brennan smiled at Booth as she tip-toed out of the room. Booth lingered a second longer, just to make sure she was actually asleep and okay.

"She's fine, Booth." Brennan said, reading his mind.

"I hate being the bad cop." He confessed as he followed her down the hall to their room.

"Well, we have to discipline her sometime; otherwise in the future, the actual authorities will be called instead of us. It's much easier picking her up from the principal's office than bailing her out of jail." She pointed out. Booth smiled.

"I'm glad you're home. I missed you today." She smiled at his statement as she took off her jewelry.

"I missed you too." She replied. "I'm going to take a bath. Did you want to join me?"

"Yeah, I'll get the water going."

"And the jets." She requested. He nodded and headed for the bathroom. He loved being able to take care of her, especially after a long day. It was something that he had always felt guilty about when they had been partners. He could only do so much for her before it became suspicious and he had to leave. Now, he got to see her unwind _and_ recover and it made him feel better knowing that he could help that process along.

She appeared in the bathroom naked, still putting her hair up in a messy bun to avoid it getting wet.

"Madame." Booth said as he held out his hand for her. She smiled and took it as she stepped into the warm water.

"Oh, that's nice." She sighed. He undressed and slipped in behind her, the water rising dangerously close to the top of the tub with two people. She quickly turned the water off and laid back into him. He wrapped his arms around hers and held her close.

"You know, I almost got a tattoo once." She mentioned, her brain obviously still stuck on the day's events.

"No!" Booth said, unable to believe that. "Let me guess, it was some sort of tribal initiation?"

"No. A group of grad students and I were in Paris and our flight had been canceled so we went into the city. They all decided to get one and I was going to join in but I couldn't make a decision on what I wanted. I never did."

"I think it would be a sin to taint such perfectly flawless, milky, smooth skin with a tattoo." He said as he kissed her shoulder.

"You idealize me too much." She said bluntly. "No wonder I thought I could never live up to your expectations."

"That's the thing, Bones. They're not expectations of you. They're the truth of you. I'm just stating facts." He said as he ran his hand over her thigh. She paused for a second and he removed his hand. "You okay?" He asked.

"You're dazzled by me." She said, as if she knew something he didn't. He smiled at the word, knowing it's not one that she would have picked herself.

"Every second of every day." He confessed warmly in her ear. She made an executive decision at his statement and began draining the water out of the tub. "Wait, what? What are you doing? We just got in." He reminded her as she stood up and got a towel.

"I want you to make love to me, in our bed. I want you to touch and kiss every inch of me." She said and Booth felt dizzy at the proposal. "I want to believe you and I only truly believe you when you're proving it to me."

"Done." He said quickly as she handed him a towel. He dried off as hastily as he could and followed her into the bedroom.

Booth watched as she tugged at her hair tie and her hair fell wildly back down to her shoulders again. He pulled the blankets down and she climbed into bed, laying out before him. He covered her with his body and her skin was flush and pink from the warm water it had just been soaking in. She smelled clean and fresh and he had to nuzzle his nose into her neck, just taking her in. He started where he was, kissing down her collar bone and between the valley of her breasts. His tongue worked a nipple into a hard, stiff, peak before he sucked it into his mouth, getting a good taste of her perfect flesh. He moved up to her shoulder, down her arm, never letting an inch of skin go untouched. He kissed her from head to toe, worshipping her body, murmuring praise against her skin as he went and by the time it was done, she was wet and beyond ready for him. He slipped her legs over each of his shoulders and he slowly licked his way up her wet core to her clit. He fought the urge to grin as she let out a breathy _yes_, as his mouth finally found her. His tongue worked her into desperation as her hands ran over her torso, up to her breasts and back down again, doing her own part to increase the pleasure he was sending through her. He gripped her hips tighter as she began to writhe, so close to her breaking point. His tongue worked faster and she came hard, shuddering against his mouth. She tasted so perfect on his lips; he couldn't get enough of her.

When he finally made his way up her inert body, her eyes were closed. He kissed her shoulder to get her attention. She turned to look at him and she had tears in her eyes. His heart clenched in his chest.

"Bones, baby, what is it?" He asked as he brushed a stray tear off her cheek. He waited for her to find the right words she needed. When she finally found them, she whispered them to him.

"There was a time when we first met, I wanted so desperately to see the world through your eyes, to see what you saw when you looked at the world. Your observations were so different from my own that it was unnerving." She swallowed some emotion from her throat and continued. "But after all this time, occasionally, I get it. I see what you see, feel what you feel. But when that happens, especially when I see myself through your eyes, I'm…overwhelmed." She said simply. "You make me feel like the most loved, most beautiful, most important person in the world."

"Oh, Bones. You are." He said seriously. "Trust me, you are."

"You believe that, you have for quite some time. And even if I don't understand why you look at me the way you do, I am very grateful that I'm the one you're looking at that way." She confessed.

"I feel the same way every time you look at me." He informed her. "Unworthy, but so incredibly glad that you are mine." She smiled a bit at his concurrence with her.

"I am, you know. Yours." She added.

"I know." He smiled. "And I'm dazzled by that." He informed her as he kissed her softly.


	8. Gun

A/N: Apparently, end of season 4, beginning of 5 is my muse's playground this month and I'm climbing all sorts of metaphoric monkey bars.

OOOOO

Dec. 8th: Laffers18 chose the word "gun".

OOOOO

Brennan didn't hear him behind her until she set down her gun. With her disarmed, Booth took the liberty of touching her shoulder gently. She still jumped a little, even though she knew it was him immediately by his touch. She turned around and took off her ear muffs.

"Sorry." He winced. "I tried calling your name, but…" He pointed to his own ears.

"It's okay."

"What are you doing here?" He asked, probably already knowing. Booth did that: asked questions that he already knew the answers to. He wanted to hear her tell him, wanted her to open up. Today, she didn't want to do that.

"Just practicing." She said stiffly as she reloaded her gun.

"For what?" He asked.

So I can protect myself on the off-chance you die again.

"I was in the mood to shoot things." She said instead.

"That I understand." He said as he pulled the chart in to examine it. "You know, sometimes I forget what a good shot you are for a civilian." She rolled her eyes at the distinction. "I'm serious! But can I give you some tips?" He offered. She hesitated at his offer, hating to give up control. Still, this was his domain, and if she were in the lab, she would want control there.

"You're the expert." She said as she handed him the gun. He looked at it and ran his hand over the handle longingly.

"I'm not allowed to shoot this yet." He said as he handed it back to her. Brennan eyed him carefully. Rules wouldn't have stopped him if he wanted to do something, which mean that this was a self-imposed rule. He didn't trust himself to hold a gun and it frightened her.

"Okay, then teach away." She compromised.

"You've got a good stance." He told her. "Just, shift a bit." He slid his hands over her hips and turned her ever so slightly. "And you're too tense in the shoulders, relax." He requested as he moved his hands to her neck. "You need this to be loose." He smiled as he wiggled her head around by the back of her neck.

"I got it." She said, knowing he was just messing with her at that point.

"And your arms, out like this." He said as he brushed his hands down her shoulders to her hands, enveloping her. Her heart began to race and she cleared her throat. "Okay, now time your breathing." He said as he placed the ear muffs back on her head and stepped away. Brennan was frozen but she took a deep breath and fired off a shot, aiming for the center of the target. It was definitely better than the previous ones. She took off her ear muffs.

"Perfect." He said with a smile. "Hell, right now, you're a better shot than I am."

"If that were true then I wouldn't need your help achieving this result." She said, furrowing her eyebrows at his logic. Booth smiled sadly.

"I guess you're right." He conceded, but he looked like he didn't believe her. "Anyway, I shouldn't be here. It's like putting you in a lab and telling you everything is off limits." He smiled grimly. "It's too tempting. I'll see you around, Bones." He waved as he began to walk away.

"Booth?" She requested as he stopped. "This probably isn't the best time to be asking this, but do you remember the first time you found me here?" She asked, the memory suddenly overwhelming her. "The Cleo Eller case?" Booth frowned, trying to remember. "I barely knew you, I had never seen you fire a weapon, but I knew your history. You picked up my gun and you shot very poorly."

"On purpose." Booth added, reclaiming a small piece of his memory.

"You do that, hide pieces of the puzzle, make people underestimate you. You think it gives you an advantage, and maybe in the interrogation room, it does. But in the real world, you don't have to hide all the facts. You can trust me, if you want to talk about it." He stared at her, and Brennan wished that she could read what he was thinking.

"Bones, right now? A lot of this?" He said as he motioned to his head. "It revolves around you: around my dream and my memories, trying to sort out what's real and what's clearly not." He sounded almost angry at the fact that some of it wasn't real, like she was the one who had lied to him instead of his own brain. Then again, she had created the story so maybe it was her fault. "The last time I asked you who you were to me, you burst into tears. I don't think you want to be in on this mess." She winced, even weeks later, but she steeled herself with resolve. This wasn't about her. This was about him and his memory. He needed her to be strong.

"If it's about me then I'm the only person who can help you sort it out." She said as she closed the space between them. "I'm the one person on this planet who will never lie to you, Booth. Let me help." He sighed as he looked down at her hand on his arm. She knew it was a step too far, too close, too intimate for trying to re-establish their boundaries but she didn't move her hand. "Please?" She added.

"Not here." He said reluctantly as he looked around. "My place?"

"I'll drive." She offered.

OOOOO

"Where do you want to start?" Brennan asked as she sat down on the other side of the couch and tucked her legs underneath her.

"I don't know." He said honestly. "Where do you start when your brain has been scrambled?" She sighed.

"You're doing fine, Booth. You've healed remarkably in such a short amount of time." She said, impressed. "There have only been a few changes to your behavior. I was expecting more."

"More than this?" He asked in concern.

"Well, the temporoparietal junction is known for being the cause of both amnesia and schizophrenia. That's why you were hallucinating as a symptom." He groaned at himself. "But now you have almost all of your memories, and the things that you've forgotten are pretty trivial, food preferences and clothing tastes." She pointed out. "Your physical movements have adjusted to compensate for the missing pathways in your brain. You're more left handed than you were before."

"I am?" He said as he glanced down at his hands. "How do you even know that?"

"I'm a kinesiologist. I'm very observant of people's movement. Plus I'm with you almost every day. I'd notice even if I wasn't looking for symptoms." She pointed out.

"And you are? Looking for symptoms?" He asked.

"You forgot me." She reminded him. He conceded her point before rubbing the bridge of his nose. "It's okay, Booth." She comforted him.

"I didn't forget you, exactly. I mean, when I woke up, I knew that it had been a dream, you know? I knew that I didn't really own a night club. I was in a hospital bed. I knew about the brain tumor. But when I looked at you, those feelings I felt in that dream? They didn't go away; reality never set in. All I knew was that you were important to me, and judging by your concern, I was obviously important to you."

"You logically concluded I was your wife." She said, not blaming him for the confusion at all. "Your brain was trying to make sense of what you had just experienced."

"When I asked you who you were, you cried." He remembered. "I felt so guilty, so terrible, for having to ask."

"I cried because I thought that you had lost your memory. I thought there was lasting damage from the surgery." She said. "And then you called me Bren…" She paused, wanting to gather herself.

"That's what I called you in my dream." He explained.

"And I knew that I must be in there, somewhere."

"You did a good job of explaining the situation clearly." He offered, still feeling guilty. "Logically, I understood, I remembered your role in my life."

"But?" Brennan asked, knowing that it was coming.

"But it didn't explain the feeling."

"What feeling?"

"That I was in love with you. My heart knew it, as strong as I'd ever felt anything." Brennan couldn't hide the fear at his statement. "I remembered our first case, I knew that even though we'd never…" He paused. "I had feelings for you before, Bones. I think, I hope," he corrected, "we both knew that, but when I woke up, everything was different."

"Your brain got put into neutral." She said quietly, reliving a memory or two herself.

"What?"

"Your brain got put into neutral and your heart popped into overdrive." She said a bit louder. "You took your own advice." They both got quiet. "Did those feelings ever go away?" She asked curiously. He shook his head slowly. "You're in love with me right now?" He nodded, unable to say it out loud. "Booth…" She lamented. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Sure, and how would that conversation have gone? 'Hey Bones, I know we're partners and all but I had a piece of my brain removed and now I'm in love with you. Just thought you should know?'" He shook his head. "I don't think so."

"You think that's the reason that you're in love with me?"

"Bones, I apparently can't even pick out my own socks in the morning, how the hell am I supposed to know what's going on up there?" He said, completely exasperated and wanting to give up. She analyzed him for a moment.

"We experiment." She said simply. He threw a completely confused look her way. "Here." She reached out her hand for his.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he lurched away, totally unsure of what was happening.

"Trust me. Come here." She said as she met him halfway on the couch. He sighed and moved forward a bit. "Kiss me and then tell me what happens, how you feel."

"Bones…"

"I'm serious, Booth. We've kissed before, it's not a big deal. If you don't feel anything, you don't feel anything and we know the answer."

"And if I do?" He asked.

"Then we know that too. Come on." She said as she motioned for him to move towards her. He sighed once more, clearly feeling ridiculous, but he moved forward and kissed her. She let him lead but she felt him give against her lips and he deepened the kiss. Brennan's heart was racing again as she felt his hands move to gently hold her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself get lost in the kiss. Booth finally pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"I think we have an answer." He informed her. She nodded and kissed him softly once to share her consensus. "Now what?" He asked her, his low voice sounding rough and sending a chill down her spine.

"Now _my _head is spinning." She confessed. "But I like it." She added and Booth chuckled. He moved back in for another kiss, pressing her back against the couch as he laid her out. With him on top of her, she could feel his erection grow against her thigh and she rubbed her hand against it. He growled against her mouth, knowing exactly what she was doing. "Behave." He hissed.

"Why?" She asked, pushing his buttons. "I want you, Booth." She purred. He groaned in frustration as he touched his forehead to hers.

"Now, even like this?" He asked.

"Always." She said honestly. "I always want you." She saw the words affect him more than he wanted. She moved his head lower and kissed his forehead lovingly to prove it. He kissed the crook of her neck and she ran her hands through his hair, feeling his fresh scar just under her fingertips. He paused as the reminder of his fragility was brought to her attention. "Booth, I'm not going anywhere. If you want to wait…" He sat up.

"What I want is to bury myself inside you." He informed her bluntly. "It's taking everything I have not to." She closed her eyes in agony at that information. "Every time I think about it, I flash back to my dream." He confessed. "I know how it feels to slip inside you, to feel your warm, wet heat all around me, except that's not real. That never happened."

"Booth…" She cut him off as she sat up again. "You know how it feels because I wrote it. Me." She emphasized. "Those were my fantasies; I just let you in." He stared at her. "But now, it's not a fantasy. It's us." Booth contemplated only a second before pulling her against him once more.

"And you're sure?"

"Very sure." She promised. "This isn't just you. I want this." He nodded, trusting her. He kissed her once more before standing up and leading her into his bedroom. They undressed each other between kisses until Brennan pulled away and lay down in Booth's bed, sprawling out before him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No." He shook his head. "You're just…stunning." He said as he climbed over top of her. He let his hands run over her skin and cup a breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple and watching it pearl. "Stunning." He repeated in awe. She was so desperate for him that she spread her legs for him wantonly. She took his hand and moved it encouragingly between her thighs.

"Warm, wet heat?" She repeated as he gladly slipped his fingers into her. His sharp inhalation of breath was her reward for the brave move. His erection strained against her in envy as his fingers began to massage her smooth walls. Now it was her turn to gasp as she clutched at his wrist, moving with him as he led. Just the knowledge that he was touching her alone would have sent her over the edge but he stroked her into oblivion, until her vision exploded with white light.

Apparently, that was all it took for his confidence to come roaring back. He pulled his fingers out of her and sucked them clean and Brennan thought it was the most erotic thing she had ever seen.

"You taste like heaven." He informed her. "I'm going to have you that way soon." He promised. "But first," he adjusted her hips, "I have to be inside you."

"Yes." She agreed as he let the tip of his erection slide through her folds and into her molten core. "Yes." She hummed again as he filled her slowly. Her hands clutched his shoulder blades tightly as he began to move. His hips thrust into her and she cried out in pleasure. He cursed in her ear, unable to restrain himself. "Take me, Booth." She begged, feeling the fluttering of another orgasm beginning inside her. "Deeper." She begged as he thrust entirely into her.

"Bones!" Booth called as they sped up, moaning wildly in bliss. "Oh, God, baby. Yes. Yes!" He cried as she felt herself getting impossibly close to her release. She was pulled apart at the seams as she came again, this time with him. They were battered with sensations, like waves crashing over them until there was nothing left but the stark silence of peace.

"You most definitely haven't forgotten that." She promised him with a sly smirk as she turned on her side to face him. He chuckled as he stared at the ceiling.

"I keep waiting for my brain to explode from too much exertion or something."

"Your brain is fine." She promised him. "The bad parts are over and you're getting healthier every day, which is good because I definitely have plans for you." She said wickedly. He raised his eyebrow.

"Oh yeah?" He asked as he rolled over top of her again.

"Mmhm." She smiled as he kissed her. "Now that you're in the know, I've got a few more fantasies to let you in on. If you're up to it, of course; I wouldn't want your head to explode."

"If we keep this up, I make no promises." He grinned.


	9. Moist

A/N: AU today, though technically season 6! See? I'm moving forward in time!

OOOOO

Dec. 9th: Groovycathers chose the word "moist".

OOOOO

Brennan unlocked her front door and set down her purse. She had been sent home at exactly five o'clock because it was her birthday and the lab insisted she celebrate it at home. She didn't know what she would do with her time exactly. Booth still had a few weeks in Afghanistan before his year of training soldiers was up and in his absence, Brennan's reports and work from Maluku were already done. Booth had promised that he would video message her as soon as he was able so she headed for her computer on the kitchen table.

She made it a few steps before she noticed that there was a square bakery box sitting on her table. She carefully opened the lid and smiled. _Happy Birthday Bones_ was scrawled over the top of the chocolate frosting. She smiled at the surprise and looked for a card, despite the fact that she already knew who it was from. Leave it to him to remember to get her a birthday snack despite being in the middle of a war zone.

"Happy Birthday." A low voice came from directly behind her. She whipped around in surprise at the sound of his voice.

"Oh my God." She stared slack-jawed for a moment. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she flew into his arms.

"I wanted to surprise you." He said as he squeezed her fiercely.

"It worked!" She cried as he spun her around in a circle before setting her back down on the ground. She grasped his tanned face in between her hands and examined him for a moment. His eyes were bright, if not weathered from his time in the sun. He looked so happy that it made her stomach curl within her. It was then that she realized she hadn't kissed him yet. She grinned as she pulled him down for a mind-numbing kiss.

"Oh god, I missed that." He groaned as he rubbed noses with her. "Six months is too long to go without tasting you." He decided.

"Mmm, I agree." She said as she kissed him one more time. When she finally gave him space to breathe, she began peppering him questions.

"How long do I get to keep you?" She asked.

"Forever." Booth said as he handed her an envelope. She frowned as she looked down at it. "My discharge papers."

"What?"

"I'm out. My time is up." Brennan clutched the papers to her chest before looking at them again. "I dropped all my stuff off at my apartment this morning. I'm back for good." Brennan's eyes welled up with tears as she cuddled into his neck.

"This is the best birthday I have ever had." She declared.

"And we're just getting started." He said as he rubbed his hands together. "So, where am I taking you to dinner? My treat."

"Can we order in?" She asked. "I want to keep you all to myself tonight." He smiled that sappy smile he got when she was being romantic.

"Absolutely." He agreed. "And there's always cake for dessert." He added as she beamed at the cake on the counter. "It's mocha chocolate. The middle has ground up chocolate covered espresso beans in the filling."

"That sounds delicious." She told him. "Perhaps we should have that instead."

"It's your birthday." He reminded her. "Slice it up."

"Really?" She asked, a mischievous smirk appearing on her face. He nodded. "I have missed being spoiled by you." She confessed.

"I've missed spoiling." He said honestly, reveling in the excitement of being home and making her happy.

She got up and carefully cut a slice of cake for them to share. Booth sat down at the end of the table and sunk a fork into the first bite. He held it out for her and she smiled as she took the bite.

"Mmm." She moaned. "Oh that is _so_ good." She smiled as she slid the piece of cake his direction. "You have to try that. It's so moist." When she looked up at his face again, his eyes were black. She paused, unaware of why he was looking at her like that. He bent over the corner of the table, moving closer.

"Those are the same noises, the same face, you make when I'm inside you." He said darkly. Her body instantly reacted to his words and she felt her chest tighten in desire. "Go ahead, take another bite." He requested roughly. She did as she was commanded and closed her eyes and licked the frosting off her lips. She heard his chair scraping back against the floor and she opened her eyes. He hurled her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing and carried her to bed.

"Oh God." She purred as she felt every rippling muscle under his t-shirt. She clutched at the hem and as he set her down on her toes again, she pulled his t-shirt over his head with her. "The Army has been good to you." She murmured as she took in his bronzed skin and new physique. He had always been a well-shaped man but his training had bulked him up and slimmed him down in all the right places. She pushed him down on the bed and straddled him, her hands desperately running over every inch of bare skin until they found his belt buckle and slid his pants and boxers to the floor.

"Not fair, Bones. Your turn." He said as he sat up and slid his rough hands up her back, sending goosebumps scattering across her skin. He held her by the small of her back as he pulled the blouse over her head. He didn't even bother removing her bra as he buried himself in her chest, kissing and sucking the flushed mounds of flesh. She fell back into his hands as he worshiped her until he finally reached around and unhooked her bra. She tossed it to the floor, already forgotten.

Now bare to him, Booth's mouth kissed her skin hungrily and she moaned again, grinding into his erection as her skirt rode up around her hips in the process. Realizing his loss, Booth reached up and ripped the damp panties right off her hips. She wanted nothing more than to sink down onto him but he had the presence of mind to unzip her skirt and she fell back onto the mattress so she could quickly discard the material.

Once she was completely naked, she climbed back onto his lap again and his hands guided her hips until she was hovering over his substantial erection. She let out a low groan as he lowered her down onto him and he finally filled her for the first time in months. Nothing, _nothing_, felt like he did and she shivered at the knowledge. His hands held her firm as she rotated herself over top of him. He kissed her with all that he had, pulling every emotion out of her as his tongue explored her mouth.

"Oh, Bones, Bones, Bones." His prayer thrummed in his throat and she felt it against her skin. It rumbled through her body and she felt herself begin to climb.

"Oh, oh, oh Booth!" Her hands clutched the back of his head as her orgasm tore through her, rippling from her core throughout the rest of her body. He lay her on her back before thrusting deeper and harder into her. Her hands slid around his hips and clutched him encouragingly as she arched up into him. He grunted as he spilled into her, shuddering hard through his own climax.

He slipped from her but he pulled her over top of him as he fell back to the mattress.

"Jesus Christ, Bones." He whispered hoarsely into her hair.

"I may never leave this bed ever again." She smiled against his chest. "Maybe only for the cake."

"Fuck yes" He agreed. "I think I could get off just watching you eat it." A tremor shimmered over her body at his explicit words.

"Give me a second to recover and then we'll find out." She promised.

"Deal." He said as he closed his eyes.


	10. Caramel

Dec. 10th: SarahInPrint chose the word "caramel".

OOOOO

Booth bit down on his lip and gripped the headboard a little tighter. He knew that she wanted him to crack, wanted to hear him begging and falling apart but he damn sure didn't want to give her the satisfaction. In the last thirty minutes, there wasn't a single inch of flesh on the anterior of his body that hadn't been touched by her mouth but now she was upping the ante as she grazed her teeth over his hip bone, breathing her warm, damp breath over him. He wanted to close his eyes in sweet agony but after all this foreplay, he wasn't about to miss the sight of her full pink lips finally, _finally_ slipping over him.

"Damn it, Bones." He groaned harshly, unable to stand the torture in silence any longer. She didn't respond, simply slid her tongue tantalizingly slowly up his shaft, licking him like a damn popsicle. His hips shifted once more as his body desperately tried to find her mouth all on its own but she didn't give in and Booth clenched his jaw a little tighter in frustration. Every ounce of blood in his body was pounding through his erection and still, she refused to cooperate as she did her best to turn his balls a deep navy hue.

All she had to do was close her lips around him. Hell, she probably didn't even need to suck at this point; he was that close to combusting. He just needed something wrapped around him: her mouth, her hand, a fucking sheet, _anything_ and he could begin reaching nirvana.

He bit back a small whimper as she ran her thumb in a slow circle over the head of his cock, smoothing the pre-cum around his overheated flesh. He could have sworn he saw her smirk at the castrated sound and it broke his resolve in two. He couldn't stand it anymore. He shoved his hands in her silky, caramel-colored hair and held her on him. The roughness was exactly what she had been wanting from him and he finally understood.

She had been baiting him. She _wanted_ to elicit this brutal caveman reaction from him.

And it simultaneously pissed him off and turned him on.

"Jesus, Bones." He muttered incredulously, unable to believe her. He held her head still as he thrust into her mouth. She hummed and finally sucked, approving of the action. "Oh fuck!" He cried as his hips shot forward, sending his throbbing erection deeper into her warm, tight mouth. She sucked him soundly as he finally let loose, fucking her mouth wildly as his fingers twined through her hair. He felt his orgasm hurdling down his spine like a freight train and he couldn't stop it if he tried. He opened his mouth to warn her but she clenched her hands against his hips, ready to receive him. His serrated breath was erratic at best as he seized spastically, completely out of control. He poured into her willing and waiting mouth as she siphoned the most intense orgasm of his life out of him until there was nothing left to give.

Thoroughly spent, he glanced down through his fluttering eyelids and vaguely saw her wipe her wrist over her mouth as she moved up the bed to examine his remains. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again, he was face to face with her proud smirk.

"Go ahead and laugh, Bones." He informed her hoarsely as he took in her aroused and dark eyes. "But just know," he paused as he noticed her drenched panty-covered core was slowly but rhythmically rubbing against his bare thigh, achingly desperate for some sort of release. He cupped her full bottom tighter against him encouragingly as he continued, "I take my revenge in spades."


	11. Feathers

Dec. 11th: PolamaluGirl chose the word "feathers".

OOOOO

"Stop right now or I swear to God, Booth!" Brennan cried as she chased him out of the Jeffersonian's flower garden.

"You don't believe in God!" He shouted back, refusing to stop.

"You're making a spectacle of yourself!" She yelled as she got closer to him.

"Hey, you know, you're the one chasing me." He pointed out as he made it to the stop light. Rather than slow down, he turned and headed down the block to the next intersection.

"Why are you so upset?" She asked. That was enough to get him to stop dead in his tracks. His entire body tensed before he turned around. Suddenly, Brennan regretted everything that had taken place in the last three minutes. She took a step back and he saw the retreat for what it was.

"_Why am I so upset_?" He repeated as he sauntered slowly, but frighteningly so, over towards her. She gulped. His eyes were black and every muscle in his body was tight and Brennan's body reacted how it normally did when seeing this side of him.

_Traitor_, she mentally scolded her body.

Her breathing was heavy as he stared her down incredulously.

"It was…it was for a case?" She stuttered, unable to come up with anything else when he was looking at her like that. He turned calmly and raised his hand, hailing a cab. Brennan blinked at the action, completely confused. The cab pulled up to the curb and Booth opened the door and pushed her inside it. He slammed the door on her and gave the cabbie her address and started walking back towards his office. She wanted to protest but she was so shocked by his bold move that she couldn't even speak. The cabbie didn't seem to notice her silence and he whisked her away without another sound.

OOOOO

Brennan stormed up through her apartment and grabbed her gym bag. She began throwing things into it haphazardly. She might have made him angry first, but now, she was the one who was seething. How dare he? She had been doing it for his case. She had been trying to _help_ him. Well, if he was going to react that way, she wasn't going to be here when he came back to make things right. She loaded up her bag and was halfway towards the door when he knocked. She frowned. He must have gotten in the first cab after her to have already made it to her door. That was fast, even for him.

She didn't bother answering it. If he wanted entry, he was going to have to get his own key out. He knocked one more time, this time yelling her name through the door, as if she didn't already know it was him. She had a bag full of clothes and toiletries and she was zipping it up when he finally made his way through the front door.

Booth was livid. She could tell without even raising her head to see him. The air in the room thickened by just his presence.

"Moving out?" He asked.

"Going to the gym to work off my rage." She said, barely constrained. "Not that it's any of your business." She added as she looked up at him out of the corner of her eye. He twisted his neck, clearly wanting to strangle her but she didn't look him directly in the eye. She wasn't sure what would happen if she did, but she wanted to avoid it.

"_Your_ rage?" He asked. "You're angry now?"

"Yes, Booth. I'm angry." She said definitively as she threw her bag down at her feet. "You just walked away from me like my side of the story didn't matter. Then, you put me in a cab and just _dismissed_ me without another word!"

"Not such a great feeling, huh?" He countered. Her eyes narrowed at his remark and she scoffed, picking up her bag.

"You can show yourself out." She instructed as she passed him brusquely.

"No." He said as he sat down on her couch.

"No?"

"No." He put his feet up on her coffee table, just to piss her off even more.

"Come on then," she cried, "let's have it out. I know you're dying to tell me what I did wrong." Booth set his feet on the ground again as he leaned forward and began recounting her sins.

"I specifically told you that this assignment was off limits. It was too dangerous for you to be there." He added sharply. "And yet, when I walked into that room _under cover_, what did I see? My girlfriend, in lingerie and a boa, sitting in the lap of a mob boss!" He stood up, his anger flying freely now. "The surprise at seeing you alone could have blown my cover. You weren't even sure of my cover story, I mean, everything could have been destro…"

"We had to improvise! You needed that information immediately. I called your office and they brought me in. I was prepped as thoroughly as I ever am. You are just upset because you didn't know that I was going to be there."

"Do you know how hard it is to not react when I see you practically naked, aside from some silk and feathers, draped around one of the most wicked men in DC?!" He yelled. Brennan fell silent. "What?!" He asked, completely disconcerted by her silence.

"Are you…are you jealous?" She asked, her brow furrowing in incredulity.

"Of what?" He asked.

"Of Roxie." She said as she backed up. "You're upset because I became Roxie on this case." She realized. "You didn't mind when she was draped over you, snapping gum in _your _ear." She reminded him.

"You're ridiculous." He shook his head, pushing the idea aside. But Brennan knew she was right, and she knew there was only one answer. She pushed her jacket off her shoulders and set it aside. She removed her necklace and pulled her t-shirt over her head. Booth stared at her in confusion. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Do you really think I went lingerie shopping and didn't buy something for you?" She asked as she removed her jeans. Beneath her clothes, she had a black lace push-up bra and black lace panties. Her cream skin pressed through the lace, tantalizing him with the intense contrast of color. Booth stood there staring at her and she pressed herself against him longingly. "I'm yours, Booth. Only yours." She felt his body react to her words and she reached down and stroked him through his slacks. He grabbed her by the wrist and spun her around and pressed her over the kitchen table. She felt his erection against her backside as he held her there for a moment. He released her wrist but she didn't move. Instead, she widened her stance in silent invitation. She loved being in control but sometimes, she just loved letting him have his way with her. It was very exhilarating.

"Damn right, you're mine." He hissed in her ear as he bent over her, pressing her chest flat against the table. "You are mine and mine alone." He growled roughly as she felt the clasp on her bra release. His large hands ran from the small of her back up to her shoulders, shoving the bra off her body. She pushed it aside as Booth's hands continued their exploration of her spine. "I can still remember zipping up that first dress." He reminisced. "The sight of you completely bare underneath it; your curves hiding just out of view, lost to the shadows of the tight dress, God, Bones." He murmured, deep in memory. "My hands itched to run under the fabric and explore that pale skin. If I had known it was as soft and smooth as it looked, I might not have been able to resist." He reminded her as he yanked the remaining lace down around her ankles.

"I would have let you." She assured him confidently. "I was already yours, even back then." She hadn't worn underwear the entire trip in hope that his discipline might snap.

"Mine." Booth murmured again and she heard his pants drop around to the floor. He rubbed his erection in her damp folds, readying himself for his penetration and also just driving her mad with desire. "I used to think back to that moment and I'd have to jerk off." He informed her as she clutched the table harder. "I used to dream about fucking you, just like this, that tight dress shoved around your hips as I took you hard from behind."

"Oh yes." Brennan agreed. "Oh yes. I'd, ohhh," she hummed, losing her train of thought as he entered her swiftly. "I'd touch myself too." She confessed. "I'd be so wet for you, but it, it was never enough." One hand held her wrist down against the table and the other clutched her hip and kept a rough rhythm.

"No…" He agreed as he thrust into her desperately, already at his wit's end after the passion of their fight. "Never enough."

She cried out as waves of pleasure wracked her body. He followed quickly, spilling into her as his body jerked behind her. She tried desperately to catch her breath as her body lay spread out beneath him in total surrender.

"Bones, Bones, Bones," he muttered as he fell limply from her body. He reached for her hand as he collapsed in the nearest kitchen chair. She let him pull her back and she fell into his lap. He immediately pushed her hair aside and lovingly kissed and sucked on the back of her neck. Her hand reached behind her and held his head tenderly. "I'm sorry." He murmured against her flesh.

"Me too." She relented. "I love you, Booth." She told him.

"I know." He nuzzled her neck and spun her around to face him. "I love you too." He promised as he looked into her eyes. "Truce?" She smiled at the offer.

"Truce." She nodded.


	12. Soapy

Dec. 12th: Vtdrew2 chose the word "soapy".

OOOOO

Booth practically carried her into the house and straight into the bathroom. He let go of her only to open the shower door and start the water. She was strong but after the day's ordeal he was legitimately worried she might faint in the steamy environment. He helped her undress but Brennan stepped under the spray of the water all on her own. Booth quickly undressed and joined her. She leaned into the spray to wet the back of her hair and Booth watched her on high alert. He reached for her shampoo and poured some into his hands. She wordlessly turned around to let him shampoo her hair. They moved silently, on autopilot after years of moving in sync.

As Booth slid a soapy loofa over her soft curves, washing her clean of the day, Brennan seemed to register what he was doing. He felt her gaze on him as he scrubbed her clean but he didn't look up. He was focused on destroying evidence. Right now, this was the only way he knew how to take care of her and he wasn't going to let her independence rob him of his only useful task. She tugged upwards on his elbow, wanting him to stand up again. When he did, his look of concern for her made her face crumble. She buried herself into the crook of his neck and he held her fast as she began to cry. If not for the small shakes her body was making against him, the tears would have gone unnoticed. They mixed with the rivulets of water and the noise of the shower and disappeared unseen down the drain.

Booth kissed her softly on the temple, hoping to comfort her as he held her. At the simple action, Brennan pulled away and glanced at his lips with hopeful eyes. He knew all too well that she needed some distraction from whatever she was feeling and he would gladly give it to her. He would give her anything if it would make her feel whole again. She pulled at his neck as she kissed him, her body wrapping itself around him as if he was her cure. Booth carefully lifted her by the thighs and pressed her into the shower wall and Brennan gasped against his mouth at the cool sensation on her back. The warm spray of the shower hit his lower back and fell down his spine as he hitched her tightly to him. She slipped easily over him and he began to move slowly, not wanting to hurt her. She clung to his neck, her warm tongue dancing in his mouth as he tried to erase her pain.

She came silent and shivering, only adding to her heartbreaking appearance. He buried his face in the crook of her neck as he spilled within her, holding her as tightly to him as he could. It was only then that the realizations of how easily she could have been taken from him finally set in. He pulled her down to the shower floor as his legs gave way from underneath him. He whispered his love and thankfulness for her in her ear as he rocked her against him. In the steam filled enclosure, an intimate atmosphere seemed to cloud around them, hiding them from the outside world. Here, they were safe, they had each other, and what was between them was theirs.


	13. Tittynope

A/N: I love the obsession with Brennan's hand that Booth has during the infamous "Tough Man" hand grab. But even before that moment in the scene, he keeps sneaking a peek at her hands as they talk to Sweets at the table. It slays me.

OOOOO

Dec. 13th: Jena_always chose the word "tittynope". Which, if your brain is in the gutter from writing smut all month, you'd think goes right along with Dirty December. But actually, it means "the small remnants left over". Huh, who knew, right?

OOOOO

It was official: there was something wrong with him.

Correction: there was something _seriously_ wrong with him.

There had to be. There was no other rational explanation for the unexpected and unwanted thoughts coursing through his mind.

Okay, maybe not unwanted.

But one sight of her hands should not have instigated this ridiculous fascination he was now tripping over. After all, he had seen her hands a thousand times before and he had never once thought about them.

Ever.

Zero thoughts.

Until today.

It had to be a byproduct of his tumor. There was no earthly way that a normal, well-adjusted man could sit here and have the thoughts he was having about those hands, especially one who had spent the last few years of his life watching those same hands dive into decaying bodies on a daily basis.

Yet, when he had stopped by her office to pick her up for lunch, she was lotioning her hands and for whatever reason, he had suddenly lost the ability to speak. He had fantasized about how that pale skin would feel against his skin, so soft under his lips.

No.

He shook the feeling and stared up at her face again, trying to pay attention to the scientific mumbo jumbo she was spouting.

Hey, remember that time she flayed open a corpse and wore its hand like a glove? That was disgusting.

He used that motivation to focus up for a few minutes before she played dirty and reached for the pepper and brushed against his hand. He sighed.

Of all the things to fixate on. Her hands? Really?

He couldn't avoid them, no matter how hard he tried. He was burning with desire to just intertwine those fingers in his and bring that soft flesh up to his lips. The tip of his tongue was longing to explore her fingers and suck one lightly into his mouth. And oh God, the thought of those dexterous hands sliding up and down his stiff…

"So what do you think?" She asked as she stole a French fry off his plate and popped it in her mouth. He watched her chew for a second before smiling.

"Sounds great." He said, completely at a loss for what she had just asked him. She laughed at him and shook her head. "What did I just agree to?" He asked, knowing he was caught.

"I asked if I could have a kidney." She grinned. "What are you thinking about so intently?" It took every fiber of his being to not blush as he shook his head.

"Nothing important." He said. "I'm just distracted today." He said as he reached for his glass of water to cover the lie.

"I noticed. You keep pushing the tittynope around on your plate." She said as he choked and sputtered water over his side of the table.

"I'm sorry." He coughed. "The what?"

"The tittynope. The small pieces of leftovers?" She said as she motioned with her hand to his plate. "You keep pushing them around aimlessly." She furrowed her eyebrows as she began to analyze him. "There isn't anything wrong with your brain again, is there?"

God, you have no idea, he thought.

"No, Bones. They tell me my brain is fine."

Although I don't believe them, he added mentally.

"So why are you distracted?" She asked.

"There's just a lot going on right now in my life, you know, the tumor and all that. I've got a lot on my plate."

"Your plate is practically empty; we just discussed it." Booth smiled but didn't say anything. He knew when she was playing dumb just to make him feel smart and this was definitely one of those times. The small smirk at her own cleverness gave her away.

"Hey Bones?" He said as he pushed his plate aside.

"Yes?" She responded.

"I'm really lucky to have you." He said as he reached out for her hands and held them in his. She looked down at their hands, affectionately clasped together, before glancing around. It was too much PDA for the diner and while he didn't care, she did so he released her hand and waited for her reaction to his statement.

"I feel the same way, Booth." She said as she unconsciously wove her own fingers together to replace the emptiness that his had left.

And for the first time, Booth considered the possibility that maybe she did.


	14. Bank

A/N: Sunsetdreamer and I were playing fic drinking games on vacation last February and I got the phrase "If only what was said could be taken back." And what was actually written down was a hot, drunken mess but a snippet of an idea was salvaged from the ashes! Non-canon, non-smut in this one.

OOOOO

Dec. 14th: Cindy_Sue chose the word "bank".

OOOOO

"That's a serious face." Brennan commented as she sat down on the couch next to Booth.

"I'm trying to decide what to get Parker for Christmas. I want it to be perfect." He sighed. She smiled and kissed his temple.

"What about a computer? He's in middle school now and his homework is getting more intensive. He could use a laptop." Brennan suggested.

"Get a 12 year old boy unlimited internet access? I don't think so." Booth shook his head. "Rebecca would kill me. Plus, Santa doesn't have that kind of money in the bank this year." Brennan frowned and pulled away.

"We have money, Booth. Quite a lot of it, actually." She reminded him. "I wish you would start considering it as yours as well."

"Look, Bones, I appreciate the offer but this, this should come from me." He told her.

"Should I be getting something for Parker separately? I just assumed since we were living together now we would get him something together." She said, trying to be supportive and not let her own emotions interfere with his decision.

"No! No, it's not that, it's just, I should pay for whatever we get him. He's _my _kid, you know?" He reasoned.

"I do know." Brennan sighed. "You never let me forget it." She added as she stood up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked from his spot on the couch.

"He's your son, Booth. You do whatever you feel is best. I just think it's ridiculous for you to be needlessly sacrificing just to protect your sense of pride." She walked into the kitchen.

"It has nothing to do with pride." He argued defensively as he stood up and followed her.

"Oh it has everything to do with pride." She countered, not buying his argument for a second. "You feel that as his father, you are responsible for shouldering the entire burden but it doesn't have to work like that. You don't have to do it alone anymore. I could help."

"Bones, you can't even begin to understand the pressure of being responsible for someone else's existence. I mean, if you really wanted to pick up and go right now, you could just grab your AmEx and vanish without a trace. Well, I don't have that kind of freedom. I never have. I've spent my entire life taking care of other people, making sure they had food on the table, keeping them safe. Every decision I have ever made has been with someone else in mind first. People rely on me, Bones." Brennan was stunned by his patronizing tone. She bit her inner cheek for a second, debating what she wanted to say. She knew that she was walking into fire of sore spots with him but she didn't care. She had to respond.

"You got me, Booth. I don't know what it means to support other people. I guess at fifteen I was just too selfish, trying to find enough food to eat and dodging all of those abusers all on my own, I didn't stop to think of anyone else. Maybe if we had met sooner, you could have added me to your list of charity cases. Clearly, I was missing out." She hissed as she grabbed her purse. She couldn't see his pained, regretful face clearly for the angry tears blurring her vision but his desperate, panicked voice trailed from behind her as she stormed out of the house, slamming the door in indignation.

She got into her car and turned it on, unsure of where she wanted to go. She decided to just drive. She threw the car into gear and pulled away from the curb.

As she drove, the Prius began to receive more than a few of Booth's desperate phone calls. She completely ignored the first two, debated answering the third and waivered entirely on the fourth. She knew she needed time to get her thoughts clear. Still, with every time his name flashed on her dashboard, she felt a bit guiltier for her silence.

Deep down, she knew that Booth hadn't meant his comments to hurt her. She knew him well enough to know that he was blind when it came to both Jared and Parker. He had what Sweets referred to as 'White Knight syndrome', and Brennan couldn't help but agree with the assessment, psychology or not.

To be fair, Brennan was pretty biased when it came to Parker as well. She would never forget the first time that she saw his little hand waving at her over Booth's shoulder. It had been the team's first Christmas together, although not by choice. She remembered how small Parker had looked in Booth's arms but he had smiled that same Booth smile and waved so happily at her, she couldn't help but smile and wave back. Knowing what she knew now about his custody arrangement at the time, Parker was probably just excited to get to spend any time with his father. It must have been rare in those days.

That makeshift Christmas in the lab had really gotten to her. She had been alone on Christmas for over fifteen years and being forced to watch as everyone else discussed what they should be doing, and who they should be with, made her miss her own parents so much that it hurt. So she had been particularly sensitive to witnessing Booth fight to spend time with his son. She remembered questioning how anyone could deny someone as good and solid as Booth time with his child. He was an excellent father, and the last decade spent with him had only proven it time and time again. It was one of the many reasons she had fallen in love with him. He took care of those around him, especially her. He was a good man.

Deciding it was time to turn around, she headed back to the house to finish hashing out whatever it was this fight had been.

When she pulled into the driveway, he was waiting in the window. The curtains fluttered as he immediately went to open the front door for her.

"I'm so sorry." He said the moment he saw her, unable to wait another second before apologizing. "I should have never said any of those things. I have no idea what I was thinking, I mean…"

"I understand the point you were trying to make." She said, cutting him off. "Parker is your number one responsibility and you've always had a delicate relationship so obviously that's a sensitive issue for you. It took a long time to establish some sort of consistency with him and you're protective of that."

"Do not excuse my behavior, Bones. Please." He begged.

"Oh I'm not." She said seriously. "I'm just acknowledging that our relationship complicates the balance of things with your child."

"But it shouldn't, I mean, God, Bones you've known him almost as long as I have." He acknowledged.

"He was four when I met him." She reminded him as she sat up on the counter and faced him from higher ground.

"Exactly." Booth pointed out and despite her hurt feelings, Brennan felt her heart clench at his sad face. "Look, you're right. I will never feel totally secure when it comes to my right to spend time with Parker. I do my best given the situation and we've made it work for us. I have a tendency to overcompensate when I do get to spend time with him. I want the few memories we get to be perfect, and…" he trailed off as he had an epiphany, "I want them to be mine." He said. Brennan watched as it all began to click. "I really do hoard him, don't I?" Booth realized.

"It's perfectly reasonable to want to spend time with your son, Booth." She reasoned but Booth crossed his arms and covered his mouth with a tight fist.

"I didn't even realize I was doing it, keeping him to myself." He said as he leaned his back against the counter space next to her legs. "I just want to grab every second I can with him." He said quietly.

"I know." Brennan smoothed her hands over his tight shoulders, trying to comfort him. "Your capacity to love and your abilities as a father, these are all reasons why I fell in love with you in the first place." She reminded him. "But I can't be in a relationship with you if such a large portion of your life like Parker is off-limits. It just won't work. We have to find a new balance."

"I know." He said as he turned to face her. "And I promise, from now on, we will." He assured her, but the sadness and guilt didn't leave his eyes. He slipped between her knees, wanting to be closer to her. "Look, Bones, what I said earlier? It could not have been more inaccurate and heartless and patronizing and I am so sorry. I didn't even think about what I was saying. I never meant to insinuate that you don't think of others, you do. So much so that sometimes, I forget just how selfless you really are. It just sort of becomes the status quo." He placed his hand on her cheek. "And I know that an apology doesn't even begin to make things right but I will do whatever it takes to try and fix the damage I caused."

"My white knight, always trying to make things right." She shook her head at his consistency.

"White knight?" He winced and she nodded. "God, if you're agreeing with Sweets, I really am in trouble."

"Yes you are." She nodded again.

"Hey, are you ready to make up yet or do you want to stay mad for a little longer?" He asked her honestly, not wanting to push too soon.

"I don't like being mad at you." She said truthfully.

"It's not so fun for me either." He confessed and she had to smile.

"I'm sorry I called your family members charity cases." She recalled her own hurtful words. He had to chuckle at her apology.

"I think in the grand scheme of things, you get a free pass tonight." Booth said

"I think that's wise." She agreed, before letting out a small yawn.

"You should go up to bed. Fighting is exhausting." He said as he reached up and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Are you coming up?" She asked as she yawned again.

"I don't know. Sleeping on the couch is a pretty standard punishment." He suggested. She frowned.

"You have a bad back, sleeping on the couch would be torture for you. Besides, when I'm upset, I like to curl up into you. I can't do that when you're on the couch."

"It would be my pleasure." Booth smiled softly as Brennan set her hands down on his shoulders and hopped down off the counter.

"This doesn't mean you're out of the forest just yet." She said sternly.

"Out of the…" He paused as she turned to glare at him, daring him to continue. "You know what? Out of the forest works too." He conceded as he followed her up the steps.


	15. Nutcracker

Dec. 15th: CraftyJHawk chose the word "Nutcracker"

OOOOO

"So then the experienced ballerina, you know, she was pissed that the younger rookie had taken the role she had been studying her entire life for and she strangled her with the curtain rope. She dumped the body but the snow covered it up over the winter, at least until it melted a little." Booth explained as they walked through the lightly falling snow. He paused as he looked down at her arm around his. He could feel her body heat from her arm being wrapped around his but the warm glow he was experiencing came from the inside out.

"What?" She asked as she looked up at him.

"This might be one of the best winter nights I've ever seen and we're spending it talking about a murder over the Nutcracker ballet." He said. Brennan looked around at the night.

"I don't understand what you mean." She said.

"Look, Bones. It's dark, but it's early spring, so it's not too cold. Just enough to make your cheeks and the tip of your nose rosy." He smiled as she touched her nose curiously with a gloved hand. "The snow is falling lightly, just enough to feel magical, like we're in a snow globe, but not enough to affect the walk back to your door. The street lights are casting an orange glow over the snow." She smiled at the picture he was painting. "This is the kind of night they write Christmas songs about."

"You're a ridiculous romantic." She chided as she bumped his shoulder. "But I'm glad." She added as she put her head back on his shoulder and they continued walking. As they walked, Booth considered if maybe this was his time, this was the moment they had lit candles for only a few weeks before, but something inside of him told him to wait. She had to make the first move. As they got to her front door, she pulled away long enough to get her keys.

"Thanks for walking me home, Booth." She smiled as she stuck the key in her door. As soon as she did, Booth heard something he hadn't heard in a long time. Something in the air changed immediately and he began to panic. He knew instinctively that something was wrong, although he couldn't name it.

"Bones, wait…" He commanded. She paused. "Don't move. Don't even turn the key. Did you hear that?" He asked.

"The small beep? I thought it was your phone."

"It wasn't." He said as she stood with her hand on the key, still vertical in the door. "Bones, don't move. Not an inch, promise?" He said. She glanced down at the key in her hand.

"Oh my God." She realized as she closed her eyes. "Booth? The Russians, they weren't just a ballet company, were they?" He shook his head, already at that conclusion. "Bones, that is a pressure lock. You need to keep your key still, I'm going to evacuate the building. I need you to stay calm, okay?" She nodded. He walked calmly over to the hallway fire alarm and tugged hard. The noise filled the hall as people began streaming out of their apartments and heading down the stairs. Booth went into army mode, escorting people out of the building and going downstairs to wait for the fire department to arrive. When he returned, she was alone in the hallway.

"The FBI bomb squad is on their way." He assured her. "Maybe it's nothing. Maybe we're just panicking for no reason."

"I heard it too, Booth." He sighed as the realization that the night was ruined finally kicked in.

"Damn it." He swore as he looked down. "We were having a really good time tonight, weren't we?" She smiled.

"The discussion of various types of strangulation marks over drinks, the romantic case debriefing in the snow, we were having a very good time." She agreed with a smile and he laughed. "Instead of a kiss goodnight, a bomb in my apartment door. Sounds about right for us." Booth looked up in surprise.

"You wanted me to kiss you goodnight?" He grinned at the knowledge.

"So not the time." She rolled her eyes.

"Right." He sobered up as he heard the SWAT team on the stairs. He backed away and let them scan the door.

"Dr. Brennan, we've seen this device before. It's very basic, but that means it could be very volatile if someone just read the instructions on the internet. We're going to ask you to transfer the key very carefully to Kevin here, without jiggling it too much."

"I have very still hands." She assured the man who nodded beneath his gear.

"Good." He said calmly. "That's good." She kept the key still as Kevin replaced her hand on the door.

"Agent Booth, we have another team sweeping your apartment and then we'll move on to your offices and your cars."

"My apartment?" Booth said in surprise. "You think there's more?"

"Someone would have to be very thorough to get access to all of those places." Brennan commented.

"Don't compliment them." Booth scolded.

"You both need to leave now." The leader reminded them. "There is an agent waiting downstairs." Booth nodded in understanding.

"Thank you, Kevin." Brennan waved politely to the man still holding the key in her lock.

"Not to add extra pressure." Booth said as he pulled the team leader aside. "There are a lot of very valuable artifacts behind that door." Booth told the leader of the team. "The Jeffersonian will have a heart attack if her apartment blows up. Trust me, you don't want to get that phone call."

"We'll do our best?" The leader replied, lost at the calm nature of the two who had obviously been through this before.

"I know you will." Booth said with a patronizing pat on the SWAT leader's back. "Let's go, Bones."

OOOOO

"How long are we supposed to stay here?" Brennan asked as she looked around at the safe house the FBI had given them.

"Until we get the all clear and who knows how long that will take." He added as he explored the house.

"We don't have any clothes."

"I found a new toothbrush and some toothpaste in the medicine cabinet." Booth called from the bathroom. "Towels in the drawers. Check the closets." He said as he made his way towards the bedroom of the house.

"Some men's button down flannel shirts, sweat pants, t-shirts." She called back. "We can make do with this."

"Great." He said as he grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, checking the size. "Do you want to shower? I'm going to try and find some more supplies." He said as he began scavenging through dresser drawers.

"Sure." She said.

"Not too long." He added, not willing to leave her out of his sight for more than five minutes. She nodded, knowing the feeling all too well.

OOOOO

"Okay, a shower feels really good." She said as she entered the room, toweling her hair. Booth looked up. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt that went down to her mid-thigh, her hair was wet and tousled and her skin was flushed pink from the warm water of the shower.

"Uh…" He stammered, unable to form words. "Good. Good." He said, desperately trying to get himself under control.

"Did you find anything useful?" She asked.

"There's a washer and dryer in the hall closet. We can throw our clothes," his voice cracked a bit at the mention of clothes. He cleared his throat quickly. "You know, in there tonight." He said more clearly this time as he stepped into the bathroom.

"Great." She said. "I'll wait here. Just hand me yours when you're done undressing." Booth shut the door and looked at the ceiling for mercy. He began peeling off his clothes as she continued talking. He didn't hear her as he put a towel around his waist and opened the door again. She stopped mid-sentence and stared at him.

"Sorry. Couldn't hear you over the running water." He said as he handed her a stack of his dirty clothes. "What were you saying?"

"N-n-nothing." She stammered. "It's not important." He shrugged and shut the door again, a big smile appearing at the knowledge that he had pulled one over on her as well. He dropped his towel, stepped into the warm water, and lowered his hand to his misbehaving cock. If he was going to have to sleep next to that long-legged vixen tonight, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands first.

OOOOO

He emerged from the shower feeling more at ease. His sweatpants and t-shirt kept him covered from head to toe and he wasn't going to even think about whether or not she was naked underneath her t-shirt. He was clothed. She was mostly clothed. All was well.

"I can't remember, are you a right side of the bed person or left?" She asked as he entered the bedroom.

When I'm sharing a bed it's more of a top or bottom question, he thought before catching himself. He shook his head. Two seconds to hit the gutter, new record.

"Wherever's fine, Bones." He said as he watched her climb into bed, her t-shirt riding dangerously up her thigh. He knew that she was a left side of the bed person and that sort of intimate knowledge always surprised him. How much did he know about her that he didn't even realize was unusual? He pulled the sheets down and joined her. He used the pretense of turning off the lamp to continue facing the wall, away from her.

"Night, Bones." He said quietly as he shoved his pillow under his head.

"Goodnight, Booth." She whispered kindly. He smiled at the sound of her voice and closed his eyes. She turned onto her back and nestled into the mattress. In the dark, he could feel her restlessness but he didn't know why.

"Booth?" He turned over onto his side to face her. She was already lying on her side waiting for him. "Someone tried to blow me up." The quiet statement was her busy mind's way of finally quieting, finally realizing what had happened that evening.

"I know." He said as he brushed a strand of hair off her forehead so he could see her better. "But they didn't."

"You saved me." Her big earnestly blue eyes stared up at him as she uttered the phrase and every hero-complex he'd ever had was triggered all at once. It took everything he had to not touch her but she closed the distance herself, kissing him softly. But then softly became needy and needy became desperate and before he knew what was happening, she was guiding his hand under her shirt, up her inner thigh to her damp core.

"Touch me." She begged as moved against him. He slipped his fingers into the back of her underwear and tugged them down to her ankles. He kissed her as his hand cupped her warm flesh before his fingers slowly entered her drenched quim. He gasped against her mouth at the slippery wetness coating his skin. He moved slowly, unsure of she wanted, but she began to move and his fingers set to work all on their own. He stroked her walls, crooking his finger over a particularly sensitive spot again and again until she was biting her lip and panting warm, damp breaths into his neck. He watched her body combust from the outside as her orgasm pulsed against his fingers unseen. His taut cock twitched in jealousy as she slowly came down from her high. Her eyes fluttered open sleepily and Booth was struck by the most serene colored blue he had ever seen. He collected all of her expressions, every shade of her eyes, but this one was new.

It was her post-sex face.

And he had just given it to her.

He felt his abdomen tighten even further at the knowledge that _he_ was the reason she looked like that, that it was _Bones_ who just came all over his fingers.

His fingers.

He pulled them from her slowly and she moaned slightly at the loss. Still, she pulled the sweats he was wearing down to his knees, freeing his erection. Booth wrapped his wet fingers around himself, sliding easily over his rigid body.

"Oh Bones…" He murmured dangerously, not trusting himself in the moment. She covered his hand with hers and guided him all the way over and off his body. She pumped him twice for good measure before settling in between his legs.

"Oh Jesus…" He muttered in anticipation of what she was about to do. He watched as her mouth hovered over his swollen head and tentatively reached out and swiped at it with her tongue. He closed his eyes as he felt her warm mouth suck him gently, slowly. He fisted a sheet as she began to suck harder, pull longer draws of him into her mouth. He looked down again as his other hand settled in her hair, guiding her as she moved up and down against him. He had always enjoyed this aspect of sex but it was usually fun, playful, teasing, never like this.

Her hands were moving over his hips and thighs, stroking and caressing him as she worked him over. Her mouth moved worshipfully over him, her pink lips sliding against his shaft beautifully and he realized what she was doing.

She was making love to him with her mouth.

The epiphany caused the blood to flee his brain and his pulse began to pound. He felt himself getting close and he clutched at her hair.

"Bones, oh God, Bones…" He cried as he frantically tried to alert her but it was too late. He froze as he spilled into her eager mouth. He blacked out for a brief moment but when he came too, she was kissing his chest affectionately.

"And all I thought to hope for was a kiss goodnight." He hummed as she teasingly nibbled at his ear lobe. He chuckled in exhaustion and incredulity as he looked into her eyes.

"Are you ready?" She asked softly, a flicker of hope and hesitation dancing in her eyes. He nodded.

"Yes. Are you?" He asked as he ran his hand over the small of her back supportively.

"Very much." She said honestly. He smiled and kissed her on top of the head as she cuddled into him.

He was really going to like this year, he could tell.


	16. Skirt

Dec. 16th: Seriously_what chose the word "skirt".

OOOOO

In the past, Booth had always wondered if she did it on purpose: the subtle hitch of her skirt rising above her knee as she crossed her legs, the way she provocatively bent over a table or desk at the lab, and God, when she hailed a taxi. He always pretended he didn't notice, but she could never know how much it undid him.

She'd bend over so sweetly and all he'd want to do is wrap his hands around her hips and hold her against him. His hands would itch to feel the smooth cotton or textured wool fabric under his hands and he'd have to leave the room under the temptation.

Even now, she was sitting in her kitchen, reading some sort of journal while he made them dinner and she had leaned over the counter to grab a slice of tomato from his cutting board while he was busy in the fridge. She'd thought she was being sneaky but he'd turned his head just enough to see the infraction out of the corner of his eye. The skirt around her thighs hitched ever so slightly and he knew it would haunt him all night long. But now, for the first time in their relationship, he could actually do something about it. He moved quickly but quietly before he missed his chance.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked quietly in her ear as he ran his hands lovingly over her hips.

"Eating your tomato." She confessed cheekily as she spun around in his arms. Her grin was wide and he wanted to pepper her entire face with kisses at the adorable sight but instead, his hands found their way over the sweet curve of her ass and he lifted her up onto the empty butcher's block behind them. She squealed at the action but wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him playfully.

"So, I have a confession." He whispered and her curiosity was piqued.

"Yeah?" She asked as she tugged on his tie.

"I have a thing for you in skirts." He said as he let his fingers draw small circles over the inside of knee. She arched her eyebrow at the knowledge.

"A thing? What does that mean 'a thing'?" She encouraged more details.

"Over the years I've noticed a direct correlation between you wearing one, and an increase in my blood pressure." He said. She bit her lip and smiled.

"Well, that's not good. I wear them a lot in the spring and summer." She informed him.

"Oh, I know." He grinned naughtily.

"How serious is this affliction? Should we take you in to get your heart examined?" She placed her hand over his heart

"It's beating pretty steadily right now." He assured her.

"Is it a certain kind of skirt or…"

"All of them." He assured her. She grinned at his quick and confident reply.

"Why?" She finally asked. He shrugged.

"Sometimes they hug your curves or they're loose and breezy. Sometimes they're soft and cotton or they're rough and wool, it honestly makes no difference."

"You have a thing." She stated, understanding now.

"I most definitely have a thing." He said as he ran his hands over her skirt once more. She looked at him for a moment.

"I have a thing." She admitted quietly. Booth showed his obvious surprise and she smiled a little at his reaction.

"What is it?" He asked, dying to know. She paused, drawing him into her as if proximity could answer his question.

"You." She said simply and Booth was certain he felt his heart explode, right there in his chest. He kissed her and his heart soared with happiness. Unable to resist, he pushed himself up onto the butcher's block and laid her out beneath him. He pushed her skirt up around her waist and she fumbled enough with his belt and fly to release his erection.

And then he was inside her.

He didn't think he would ever get enough of the way her warm body yielded to his, and judging by the breathy sounds she made, she wouldn't either.

Booth set a fast pace, needing her desperately and still she begged for more. He bit at her neck as her hands wrapped themselves in his hair. The wanton noises she was making were downright obscene and he was certain that the neighbors could probably hear them but Booth didn't care. He was frantic for her. She shattered beneath him on a scream and he let himself follow, her muscles seizing around him and milking him dry.

He swore to himself under his breath as he came to his senses, unsure of what had just happened but knowing the whirlwind had been worth it. Brennan lay beneath him motionless, looking totally ravaged and if he hadn't just taken her on her kitchen counter, he damn well would have after seeing the image. He kissed her throat and nuzzled his nose against her chin before slipping off her and forcing his feet to find the floor. He fell onto the closest chair he could find and looked at the ceiling. Brennan propped herself up onto her elbows to see where he had gone before chuckling and falling back onto the counter.

"Oh my God." She groaned as she ran a hand over her messy hair. "That was…"

"I know." Booth agreed.

"Even for us." She added as she swung her legs around to the edge of the counter. He opened his arms and she gladly climbed into his lap.

"I lost my God damn mind." He confessed as he burrowed in her soft hair. "You're dangerous, Bones." He whispered as he let his free hand cup the back of her neck. "One syllable from you and I can't even say my own name."

"Booth." She hummed, simultaneously mocking him and turning him inside out.

"Just like that. I could barely function before. How am I supposed to now that I know what you look like, sprawled out on your kitchen counter, totally fucked?" She fairly whimpered at his unfiltered words and her legs spread again, silently bidding him to enter her.

"Take me to bed, Booth." She purred against his neck. "I want you to fuck me until neither one of us can move." She murmured, getting her revenge by using her own coarse language. He knew what she was doing, but he didn't care. He promptly lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom.

They could have it out there.


	17. Dimples

A/N: Short and not so sweet today. ;)

OOOOO

Dec. 17th: RebeccaABryant1 chose the word "dimples".

OOOOO

"God, I hate it when you think you can use the charm smile on me. It makes me feel cheap." She said as she shoved him aside. "Do you really think it's going to work?" Brennan said. Booth just smiled a cocky smile and kept his mouth shut. He knew it wasn't the charm smile that did her in. It was his big smile, the wide one that displayed his dimples, which turned her into a hopeless mess. Not that she'd ever admit it. Still, he liked to get his way anyway he could and he would use any tool in his tool box to do so.

"Normal people like to be charmed, Bones. It makes them feel special and important." He explained.

"It should make them feel used." She said. "Isn't it better to just tell someone what you need? Be blunt?"

"No. People always say that they want honesty but they'd rather believe the lie." He said simply.

"You like it when I'm blunt." She reminded him. "It turns you on." Booth chuckled.

"What does that say about me?" He asked rhetorically. Brennan smiled wickedly and he looked at her curiously. She walked over to him and cupped him tightly.

"Bones..." Booth was certain his face would have turned a violent shade of red if there was any blood flow heading north. Luckily for him, there wasn't. She cut him off with a kiss. It was filled with need and longing and he couldn't deny her as he returned it all willingly. He felt a moan escape the back of her throat and the vibration went all the way through him.

"Do you love me?" Her doe-like blue eyes innocently gazed up into his as her hand did unspeakable things to him through his slacks.

"You know I do." He groaned.

"And you'd do anything for me, right?" She inquired. "Just because I asked you to?"

"Yes." He conceded, knowing he had already lost this battle. However, no one told her and she kept on trying her damnedest to convince him she was right.

"So why do you think I need to be played?" He felt her lips barely graze his ear and it made him shiver. "I would do anything that you asked of me. _Anything_." She whispered. He moaned as she licked behind his ear and sucked his ear lobe into her mouth.

"Bones…" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from him and held it above her head. "You're playing with fire." He warned her.

"Then tell me what you want from me." Her voice was tinged with just the slightest whine and he knew that she was frustrated. "And Booth?" She added coyly. "Be blunt." The look in her eyes could melt steel but it only hardened his body in sweet tension. He pressed her into the nearest wall and ran his hands up her arms until they were above her head. He held her by the wrists as he pressed himself into her.

"I think it's pretty obvious what I want, Bones." It was the understatement of the century. He was certain he had steam coming out of his ears by now but he tried to hold himself together long enough to prove his point. "But I'm not going to tell you what it is. I'm going to take you down this hallway and show you what it feels like to be charmed, to feel special and important. I'm going to make you feel like the only woman in the god damn universe." He promised.

"And when you're done with all the games, I'll fuck your brains out." Brennan replied unfazed.


	18. Lollygag

A/N: I'm only a few minutes late but it won't be the last time either. I have a slew of excuses from death, to work stress, to holidays, to family but just bear with me. I will write you 25 chapters. Promise.

OOOOO

Dec. 18: Julieself chose the word "lollygag".

OOOOO

"Bones! Don't lollygag, we're running late." He called as he stepped into her office.

"Lollygag? Are you 90 years old now?" Angela asked with a smirk.

"Where is she? We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago." Booth asked as he looked around her otherwise empty office.

"She's almost ready. Relax." Angela said. "You look very nice, by the way."

"Yeah?" He held out his arms for her. "I haven't gone with a three piece in a while. I figured, what the he…." He trailed off as Brennan appeared in her office again. She looked amazing, in a classy but curve-hugging black dress that was just the perfect fit on her body. Her hair was in soft waves and her lips were painted red. Her eyes were smoky, but it somehow didn't look overdone. Only she could bring him to his knees by simply walking into the room.

"I'll leave you two alone." Angela said proudly as she slipped past her and out the door.

"You look very nice." Brennan smiled as she reached for her purse. "Are you ready to go?"

"Um, what?" He asked, looking at her again. She frowned.

"Is something wrong?" She asked as she looked down at her dress. "Angela picked out the dress but if you don't…" Before she could finish, Booth held up his hand.

"It looks perfect." He watched her smile shyly as she finally realized the reason for his silence. He made his way over to her and she smoothed out the shoulders of his suit.

"You look very handsome as well." She replied again. "You haven't worn that suit in quite some time. I've missed it." He gave her his arm.

"Shall we?" He asked.

"We shall."

OOOOO

"This party was a total bust." Booth said as he walked her down the gardens. "How long do we have to stay?"

"Another 30 minutes. We just got here." She reminded him as she took off her heels and let her bare feet play in the grass. "Just pretend you're on a mission or something. That's what I always do."

"What do you always do?"

"I write. If I were writing this scene, what would I write down, what descriptions would I mention? Who would the murderer be and why?"

"Okay, if you were writing this story into one of your books, what would happen next?" He asked.

"Someone would discover the dead body that had been hidden in the bushes over there." She said honestly. He laughed.

"Assuming Kathy and Andy had already caught the bad guy and were celebrating." He added. Her lips formed an adorable 'oh' as she comprehended what he was asking. She glanced around.

"Next would be sex… probably in…the back seat of that car." She said as she found a proper venue and nodded towards a parked convertible. Booth nearly stroked as the blood rushed from his brain in reaction to her statement. Did she think this way all the time? Was she really that rebellious? She saw his furrowed brow and she backtracked a bit. "Well, it doesn't have to be the car, that's just how I would write it. It's fiction, Booth. If I don't want them to get caught, they won't." She reminded him.

"Well, I can't promise you sex." He made an exaggerated face at the thought. "But it is a good place to hide out for a while." He eyed her for a moment before jumping into the back seat of the car.

"Booth!" She hissed, looking around for witnesses. "That's not your car!"

"You were going to write a sex scene in it! I'm just sitting in it. And it sits nice, actually." He said as he touched the leather seats. "Come on in, Bones. The car is fine." He grinned. She glanced around one more time before handing him her heels with an exasperated sigh. He took them gladly and set them on the floor next to his feet. He took her hand as she pulled herself, dress and all, into the backseat of the car. She landed next to him with an oomph and he let go of her hand so she could smooth out her dress.

"What are we doing in here, Booth?" She asked him. He shrugged and looked at her with a smile as an idea struck him.

"Write me another story, Bones. The last time I heard you tell a story, I was unconscious. I wanna hear one read to me that I remember."

"What kind of story?" She asked.

"I don't know. You're the author." He said, refusing to help her. She sighed as she began to think. "Oh it's easy. Once upon a time, there was…"

"Once upon a time, there was a pushy FBI agent named Agent Seeley Booth?" She replied with a bite in her tone.

"Ooh! That's me!" He said, excited to be the lead character. She rolled her eyes until he continued. "Booth had a partner named Dr. Temperance Brennan." He added with a flourish of his hand to give her control again.

"They worked together to solve crimes and despite their very different techniques, they were quite successful." She wrote on.

"Um, one day, Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan drove to a kingdom far, far away and attended the worst party ever. It was a terrible gala at a rich man's estate in Virginia." Booth groaned dramatically. "But, despite the terrible party, the stars were bright in the sky and they had a gorgeous car to sit in to watch them glow." Booth smiled. Brennan bit her lip as she concentrated on writing what might happen next.

"As Dr. Brennan anxiously awaited their impending arrest, her pulse was racing." She responded, surprising him. "Her body was secreting adrenaline in response to her risky action and she felt her heart beat wildly in her chest." Booth eyed her carefully, trying to determine if that were true.

"Agent's Booth heart began to pound as well, but for a very different reason." He confessed. "Dr. Brennan's eyes were wide in the moonlight and it stole the breath right out of his lungs."

"Booth…" She sighed at his words. He felt her creeping closer and it wasn't long before her lips were brushing across his own. She kissed him lightly, hesitantly, as if she were afraid of losing control. Booth couldn't abide it and he deepened the kiss, wanting all of her or none at all. He felt his entire body light up like a pinball machine as lights danced behind his closed eyes and noises filtered their way into his brain.

No…wait…

He opened his eyes and saw the blue and red flashing lights of the estate's security detail, riding closer on a golf cart. The small siren was getting closer and Brennan was already frantically reaching for her shoes.

"Folks, is this your car?" The guard asked as he shone a flashlight right into their faces.

"No sir." Brennan replied before Booth could even open his mouth. "I just needed a spot to put on my heels. I broke one, you see." She said as she handed the guard the heel of her five hundred dollar pair of shoes and Booth had another stroke. "Agent Booth here was trying to help me reassemble it and when his feeble attempts didn't work, he offered to carry me back to our car so I kissed him. We were just leaving now." The guard seemed to buy Brennan's unflinching story and he nodded once.

"Well, you should get out of the car now. Please." The guard said meekly, losing his control over the situation very quickly.

"We will. Thank you, Officer." She smiled and the guard, who clearly wasn't a cop, damn near blushed at the title. He tipped his hat like a movie character and headed back to his cart. Booth fought the urge to roll his eyes as he jumped out of the back seat.

"That might be my favorite story you've told yet." He teased as she jumped down to the gravel driveway.

"Shut up." She defended herself. "Do you really think I would have gotten into that car without a back-up plan? Someone had to keep us from getting arrested. And you owe me a new pair of shoes."

"What? No way, Miss Rolex. I had nothing to do with it!" He cried.

"We needed a very authentic alibi. I provided my services as a story teller to protect us both from going to jail."

"That's a pretty steep alibi if you ask me. For five hundred dollars, I could go inside and pay a witness to lie for us. Hell, for five hundred dollars, I could probably get the car if the owner was drunk enough."

"Fine. I'll pay for the shoes if you give me a ride back to the car." He considered it and finally turned around.

"Hop on." He said as he grasped her thighs and waited for her to wrap her arms around his neck. She leaned in close.

"It might be safer for your back to…"

"No back Booth driving." He warned as he pointed his finger at her. She bit back her comment and in return, he carried her the rest of the way down the driveway to the parking lot.


	19. Mirror

Dec 19: UK_MJ chose the word "mirror" and since UK_MJ doesn't read my smut, I went sweet instead. Because love is beautiful and we need the sweet moments to balance out the sassy. Non-canon after Hole in the Heart ie No babies.

OOOOO

Sometimes, Brennan caught him staring at her, just out of the corner of her eye. Tonight, she was applying lotion and she had noticed him in the very corner of the mirror. She pretended she hadn't, not wanting to startle him away from looking. She liked it when he looked at her the way that he did. She finished the task and headed for bed, crawling under the covers and laying her head down on his warm chest.

"Cold?" He laughed as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It's a freak November blizzard and there's a foot of snow on the ground outside. I am quite chilly, yes." She said as she snuggled deeper under the blanket.

"Hey, I had something I was going to tell you." He remembered. She looked up at him and waited for him to continue. "Do you know what today was?"

"Veteran's Day." She said quickly. "I didn't want to bring it up because I know that you are particularly sensitive about your time and position in the…"

"Bones." He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Yes, it was." He conceded. "But it was also something else." He paused as if he wasn't quite sure he wanted to reveal this thoughts and it held her attention captive. "Today's the date I wrote down."

"You wrote down?" She asked, not comprehending his statement.

"Yeah, on my slip of paper during the blizzard back in March." He reminded her. Brennan sat up.

"Today?" She questioned in surprise. He nodded. "Why today?"

"Eleven is my lucky number. It was 2011 and so 11-11-11 just popped into my head. Although, I remember thinking afterward that if it took that long, I'd go crazy." He chuckled. Brennan was too busy contemplating his answer to laugh with him. "What did you write down?" He asked.

"I didn't write down a date." She admitted.

"What?!" Booth chuckled. "I should have known you wouldn't have participated in anything so silly." He grinned. "What did you do, just scribble on the paper?"

"No. I wrote down a word instead. And it's not like your wish came true." She replied indignantly.

"What did you write?" He asked, wanting to know.

"Love." She answered and Booth's face went from playful to serious in a heartbeat. "I didn't want it to come true until I knew that I had your entire heart. It sounds silly now but I was worried about it back then. I didn't want to share you anymore."

"Oh Bones." Booth sighed as he pulled her into a warm embrace. "I wish I could go back and change it. I wish it more than anything."

"You can't." She said. "Just like I can't go back to turning you down the first time you asked for more, or the second." She shook her head. "I regret those moments too."

"They made us who we are. They brought us here." Booth argued, trying to find a positive spin on the years of heartache they put themselves through. "I guess in that way, it's totally worth it. There is no place I would rather be than lying here with you right now."

"You still believe in fate." She smiled that smile that only she could get away with: the perfect combination of mocking his beliefs and loving that he still had them.

"How can you not when you look at our story?" He asked. "Jesus, Bones, we did everything in our power to end our relationship and the universe refused to let it happen."

"I certainly had my doubts." She confessed.

"But we beat the odds, right? I mean, we won in the end." He pointed out.

"Yes we did." She agreed, feeling slightly victorious. "I suppose that gives us all the evidence we need." She chuckled.

"See? I've got my fate and you've got your evidence; everyone wins." He grinned proudly as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Mmm, I suppose this calls for a celebration." She rationalized as she threw her leg over his waist and straddled him.

"Oh, most definitely." He concurred as he slid down the mattress underneath her.


	20. Door

Dec 20th: NattyAwesome chose the word "door".

OOOOO

"Oh my god…"

"You like it?"

"I love it. What is it, silk?"

"Yes."

"I wanna tear it off your body."

"You're in handcuffs. Plus, it was very expensive."

"How expensive?"

"Too expensive to tell you the price."

"Hey, did you lock the door? This could be a lot harder to explain to the maid than last time."

"Yes, Booth. Housekeeping won't be able to get in. Just relax."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one tied up and... Oh. Oh, wow. That feels… Shit! Bones! That's going to leave a mark!"

"Mmm, but you taste so good."

"Oh, but Bones...your lips are sensational."

"Just my lips?"

"And your tongue. Your warm, wet, tight, mouth in general and oh God… Harder…Please, Bones. Don't play with me. Suck me. Yes. Just like that. Yes, wait, what are you…don't stop!"

"Then keep your eyes on me."

"I'm trying to remember how to breathe right now, Bones. Vision is the least of my worries."

"…"

"Ow! Eyes are open! Eyes are open! But that was more than a little hot. Ha, I love it when you smirk against my…god damn, Bones! Oh, you're not messing around anymore, are you? No. Ohhh, Baby. Please, I…Yes. Touch me, Bones. Touch me. Oh God…Bones…you look so fucking hot on me. I'm ohhh, come on. Yes, tighter, tighter, don't stop! Yes, yes, right there, I'm… I'm…mmmmmm."

"Taste so good."

"…"

"Did you enjoy that?"

"Yeah…just a bit."

"I could always leave you in those."

"I'd break my thumbs but… they're itching to rub you blind."

"Booth…"

"Let me out of here, Bones. Right now."

"…"

"Rubbed. Blind."

"Right, hold on."

"God, you smell fucking intoxicating."

"I'm quite turned on. Wait, hold still, I can't unlock them when you're fidgeting."

"Faster…"

"There, is that bet….Oof."

"Your turn."

"Wow, you're fast."

"Now, where were we?"

"You indicated you wanted to…ahhhh. Oh, God."

"Fuck, you're completely drenched. Does blowing me turn you on that much?"

"Yes! Oh, right there. Oh, God, I want you so much. Take them off, Booth."

"Tear them off?"

"I don't even care anymore; just touch me."

"Jesus, you're perfect."

"Touch me, taste me, I don't care just…Booooooth. Oh. Oh god. God damn it. I hate these things. I wanna touch you."

"Nice try, Bones. At least I let you close your eyes."

"Stroke me harder, deeper. Oh, yes."

"Does that feel good?"

"Fuck, yes."

"I love the way you drip down my hand."

"Oh, yes, Booth! Oh Booth! Oh, oh, oh, ohhhhh!"

"Yes, damn, you're the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen."

"…"

"Here…"

"Thank you."

"For giving you a hand?"

"…"

"Ouch!"


	21. Seismic

A/N: Yep, totally late. They will continue to be late (and short, like they were originally intended!) Those are just the facts!

OOOOO

Dec. 20th: Dharmamonkey chose the word "seismic".

OOOOO

Booth barely waited for her to wake up before he began nuzzling her neck. He worshiped the skin on her shoulder with his mouth, covering her with soft, wet kisses as he went.

She kept her eyes closed as his hand strayed to her stomach, dancing over the skin there before dipping lower and rubbing her slowly with his finger. She moaned softly as she began to grow wet at his touch. She turned over to face him but he rolled on top of her, already hard.

His tongue laved her nipples into stiff peaks before moving lower. When he finally slipped down her body, his hands slid along her arms until they paused on her breasts. He fondled them as she felt him suck on the juncture of her inner thigh; leaving what she was sure was a visible mark. He loved marking her and she didn't mind, so long as he was the only one who would ever see it. He nibbled on her clit and she let out a breathy exhale.

As he slipped his tongue over her, into her, and back again, she felt herself beginning to climb. Soon, wave after wave of seismic activity quaked through her body as she rumbled against his mouth. She felt him move but she didn't open her eyes.

"Good morning." He whispered into her hair. She opened her eyes, smiled and touched his cheek.

"Good morning." She murmured back as she burrowed into his warmth and let herself fall back into a blissful sleep.


	22. Home

Dec. 22nd: IHMBookworm chose the word "home".

OOOOO

"Share a cab?" Brennan asked. Booth nodded and watched as she began to buckle up her white trench coat. He knew that coat particularly well. It was the same one she was wearing when she looked him in the eye and said no. He brushed the memory to the back of his mind and escorted her towards the door. She waved down a cab and got in and a wave of memories hit him again. He wondered if it was the alcohol or just the lack of seeing her lately that brought all of these memories rushing to the forefront of his brain.

Cab rides never bode well for him, he recalled.

The universe was radiating with painful memories and he didn't know whether it was an omen or just revenge for trying to repress her for a year.

"Are you coming?" She asked as she held the door to the bar open. He paused, unsure. "Booth?"

"Yeah." He said, shaking off the reminiscences yet again. "Yeah, I'm coming." He headed out into the cold and followed her into the waiting cab.

As he glanced out the window, he knew that this was why he ran to the other side of the world. Every moment of his life in DC would be tinted with her. Every street corner, every cab, every metro stop...

She was everywhere.

He thought the time away had done him some good, but two days back and he was right back where he was before he left.

"Are you okay?" Brennan finally asked.

"I'm fine." He said, not wanting to go into it with her right now. She gave him a wary look but let it slide. They pulled up to Booth's apartment and he realized that Brennan must have given the cabbie his address. She pulled out her wallet and paid the man enough for both of them. Booth got out of the cab and watched as she did too.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm coming up." She said in a tone that told him it was not up for discussion.

"Bones…" She looked back to the cab already driving away and headed inside. He followed her, pulling out his keys and knowing that it was a lost cause to argue with her. They made it all the way inside his apartment before she stepped up next to him, preparing to go toe to toe with him.

"Why are you here, Bones?" He asked.

"Because when I came back, I expected to feel at home." She began as she looked into his eyes. "But home isn't home without you." She confessed. "And we're still not right and I'm not going to leave until we are." He stared at her, surprised by her honesty. "Do you feel at home here, like this?" She asked.

"Well…"

"I mean, how can you possibly feel at ease when everywhere we turn there's tension between us? I just feel so…" she paused, trying to find the word.

"Wrong." Booth stated.

"Yes!" She said as she looked at him. She really took him in and a sad look covered her features. "Are we just going to stay like this?" She asked honestly. "Have I broken us forever?"

Booth felt his heart break at the question and his eyes filled with tears. He wiped one away from the inside corner of his eye with his thumb and shrugged.

"I don't know." He said honestly. She closed her eyes and turned away, not wanting to cry in front of him.

"Bones, don't… I mean, you didn't do this." He reminded her. "This was my fault. I brought this on myself."

"No, you knew what you wanted and I didn't. I mean, I did but…" He froze at her confession. "I was terrified." She whispered. "You never said anything up until that conversation and I…I wanted it so much. I didn't realize you were heartbroken until after it was too late to fix it."

"Bones, what are you saying?" He asked her bluntly, unable to stand her vagueness another second.

"I love you." She explained. "It feels like I've loved you for so long, I can't remember not loving you." He didn't know how to respond to her statement. Relief rushed to fill him in a way he didn't even know was possible. Every fiber of his being relaxed as his muscles crumbled within him. Had he really been holding them tight for over a year and hadn't noticed until now?

He wrapped his now loose arms around her and held her close for a minute. She held him tightly, her face pressing into his chest. He pulled her back and looked into her eyes, cupping her face, just taking her in. He wanted to memorize the moment.

"I love you." He told her properly for the first time. "From the moment I laid eyes on you." She bit her lip and he had to say it again. "I love you." He repeated as he felt her hands come up to lay on his chest, which, in his limited experience, signaled that she was about to kiss him.

And kiss him she did.

Her tongue dueled with his as he wrapped his fingers in her hair and kissed her passionately. Fire ignited between them and as she pulled him towards his bedroom, Booth had a fleeting thought that this was happening fast but it felt so right, so perfect, he couldn't imagine it any other way. He'd gone a year without her and now that they were back, he wanted to make up for stolen time. He wanted her, body and soul.

He wanted to be home again.


	23. Peru

Dec. 23rd: Angie_Blacker chose the word "Peru".

OOOOO

"Booth, I'm trying to read." She said as she swatted him away from her playfully.

"Read tomorrow." He whined, wanting her attention. "You're not supposed to work in bed."

"This report is supposed to be peer-reviewed and returned by midnight. I've already put it off twice." She reminded him. He sighed at her stern tone.

"What's it about?"

"The author uncovered a new set of Inca remains in Peru." She explained. "Hey! Hands!" She warned him as she felt his fingers encroaching up her thigh. "What is the author going to think if I'm late?"

"Are you reviewing it well?"

"No. It's terrible."

"Then I'm doing them a favor." He grinned as he pulled her by her hip closer to him and let his hands trail up her nightgown again.

"Booth! Peru…" She was cut off by his lips on hers. She sighed, both in acquiescence and in lust. It was nearly impossible to ignore him when he was lying right next to her, warm and strong. She let herself give in slightly before pulling away. "Am I going to have to move?" She asked him honestly. "I can do this at the lab."

"It's ten o'clock at night and you're in your nightgown! You are not leaving this bed."

"Then you're going to have to behave." She warned one last time. "I can't put this down until it's finished." Booth got an evil grin on his face and nodded.

"I won't take it away from you." He promised solemnly. She understood immediately that he must have found a loophole. She felt his fingers walking over her leg before sliding his hand up and down the inside of her thigh. He slipped beneath the blankets but she decided the best thing to do was ignore him and focus on typing the rest of her review quickly. Maybe she could finish before he could get her into any real trouble….

"Oh my god." She murmured to herself as he tugged off her underwear. He must have heard her because he kissed the inside of her thigh and she could practically see him smirking. She had her laptop perched on her thighs, with her legs open but bent at the knees. It seemed like a good idea until she realized it was practically inviting Booth to sidle up in between her legs, throw her knees over each shoulder and tease her relentlessly while she continued to work. True to her premonition, he did just that, slipping her legs easily over his wide, strong shoulders without her having to even adjust her laptop. She continued to type, refusing to give in until she absolutely had to yield. His mouth trailed up her thigh and she felt her double-crossing body go wet for him. He let his finger tip graze her damp curls before slipping just a finger tip inside her. She paused only for a moment but he didn't move, so she continued typing. As she typed, he moved deeper within her. When she paused at the end of a paragraph, so did he. She instantly understood the game. If she stopped typing, he stopped moving.

The bastard.

She tested her hypothesis out by typing wildly for a moment. Sure enough, he stroked her quickly.

Brennan began finishing her review as quickly as she could, her hips moving ever so slightly in a rhythm that he was pulling from her, beneath her laptop. His finger was soon joined by another and she could feel him pushing easily into her folds. She was nearly done and feeling proud of herself when his mouth found her clit. With two fingers still pumping slowly inside her, his tongue began to lave luxuriously at the bundle of nerves until it hardened for him. His fingers were now stroking her walls at the same rhythm his tongue was moving across her clit. Her hips were moving in slow circles, hypnotically matching the rhythm. She abandoned her typing as she closed her eyes and he stopped, pulled away and waited.

"Booth!" She hissed. "I'm nearly done. I'm proof-reading." She offered the excuse meekly. "Please, you have to let me finish." She begged and she felt his silent laughter rumble beneath the sheets. "The editing. You have to let me finish the editing." She added as she went back to scanning the article frantically. She typed up an email and sent it on its way.

"Done!" She cried as tossed her laptop to the side. She shoved the blankets aside, exposing Booth, and she yanked him up to meet her. "Now get inside me. Now." She commanded again for emphasis. Booth pushed his pajama pants to his ankles and settled in between her legs. Brennan clutched his ass cheeks as he slowly drove into her wet and swollen core.

"Yes." Booth groaned into her neck. "God, Bones. You're so ready, aren't you?"

"Mmmm, more, more." She begged as he thrust into her faster. "I'm so close. I'm…" She lost the ability to speak as her orgasm slammed over her. She closed her eyes and let it batter her body, riding it out until there was nothing left.

When Brennan opened her eyes again, Booth was staring at her with avid attention. His neck muscles were a bit strained but he smiled at her.

"Better?" He asked, ignoring the fact that he was still ramrod stiff inside her. She nodded with a sensual satisfaction before pulling him in and kissing him seductively. She could practically taste his frustration on her tongue as her hands ran through his hair. Never breaking the kiss, she moved her hips slowly, encouraging him to continue and, unable to resist, he began to thrust into her again. She felt him moan into her mouth and it turned her on to no end. She let her hands go traveling over the taut, firm muscles in his shoulders and back and she felt each one ripple deliciously under her hands. She ran her fingernails slowly up and down the groove of his spine and she felt Booth shudder a bit before coming hard inside her.

"Better?" Brennan asked, repeating his question from earlier and Booth let out a breathless chuckle.

"You're always better." He complimented as he pulled her closer to him. "You drive me crazy." He confessed as he rubbed his nose against hers.

"Mmm, the feeling's mutual." She responded.


	24. Satiated

Dec. 24th: BlindAssassinUK chose the word "satiated".

OOOOO

_Booth walked into her apartment tight as a drum, anxious for whatever reason. He always seemed to vibrate when he was on edge. She never let herself stare, despite the fact that his corded muscles were usually visible even under his t-shirt. Now, she let herself do just that. Liking what she saw, she took a chance and ran her hands up over his chest and shoulders and back down his abs. _

_Oh, he was so tense, so feral. She wanted to examine him, to memorize every inch of his taut body, but he was staring at her with those black, hungry eyes that told her he needed her just as much as she needed him. With some sort of mutual understanding, she jumped into his arms and he shoved her against the nearest wall. She reached for the back of his t-shirt and revealed his perfect torso. She let herself nibble on his shoulder as she ran her nails down his back teasingly. The things she was about to do to him… _

Brennan started awake, panting in desire.

She closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying to calm down but knowing full well that she was too turned on to relax. She warred with herself as she reminded herself that the last time was supposed to be the last time.

He wasn't hers anymore.

He had a girlfriend.

He loved her now.

She wasn't a consolation prize.

But still, Brennan's imagination was churning.

They were always so close, on stakeouts, in the car, in the lab. He was always within a foot of her, always within reaching distance. She had his very presence memorized. His smell, his footsteps, the jingle of his keys in his pocket when he was nervous, it all added up to make her already vivid imagination hum with potential.

She let herself run a hand over her stomach slowly, dangerously.

He was like falling down the rabbit hole. He made everything turn upside down.

She slid a finger across her wet flesh and shivered at the contact.

What she normally knew was wrong felt…

_Oh… _

…so damn right.

Her fingers slid so easily in and out of her as she stroked at her own walls, imagining it was him.

He would be strong, firm, never yielding.

_Yes._

He would give one hundred percent of himself to her.

_Oh yes._

And she would take it all and beg for more.

Because it was never enough.

_Oh…_

He was never enough.

_Ohhh..._

She needed him, all of him, all the time.

_Booth!_

Because when it came down to it, she could never be satiated with anything or anyone less.


	25. Christmas

Dec. 25th: RositaLG chose the word "Christmas" because she was late and wanted something fluffy to post. Thanks to all of the participants for helping me out this season and thanks to all the readers for coming back day after day. I promise I only have one more December post left and then your inboxes will be safe for quite some time. Merry Christmas!

OOOOO

Booth had been certain at the time that he would never feel more whole than he did in that very moment. His son and daughter were giggling over their new Christmas presents, his wife was curled up next to him with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands, and his heart was overflowing with the love and joy he had spent most of his prior life without.

"_Daddy, look! Parker is opening my present!" She turned to her brother. "It's a new skateboard and it's purple!" Christine informed him proudly. _

"_Christine!" Brennan scolded. "You're supposed to keep it a secret!"_

"_Wow! That was very nice of you. Thanks Christine." Parker grinned at the camera as he began to unwrap his present. _

"_The secrecy of Christmas is lost on four year olds." Brennan explained to Parker. "But I hope that you enjoy it." _

"_I will. Thanks, Bones." He said as he set it down next to him. "You should open your present next before Christine spills the beans." He told her. _

"_Alright." She smiled as she reached for the present at her feet. _

Even now, Booth held his breath as she tore the paper carefully to reveal the box underneath.

"_Oh." She said as she pulled the locket out of the box. "It's beautiful." _

"_It's an artifact." Christine pointed out and Brennan looked up at Booth in surprise. _

"_It's an antique." Booth corrected her from behind the camera. "We found it at an antique shop." He explained to his wife. _

"_It's stunning. Thanks, guys." Brennan smiled._

"What are you watching this late at night?" Brennan asked as she came down the steps.

"Old home movies." Booth said unapologetically.

"Booth, they're coming home tomorrow. It's not like we won't be seeing them in person."

"I know, but they're too old for a real Christmas. Look at those faces." He said as he gestured to the TV with his remote.

"They were so small." She commented wistfully. "What year is this?"

"It had to have been at least 14 or 15 years ago."

"Christine was only four then." Brennan looked at the television screen as she did the math. "We were only…"

"Yeah." Booth said, cutting her off. "We've all gotten older."

"I know that she's only been at school a few months but aren't you excited to have her back home for vacation?"

"Very." He said, relief flooding him at the knowledge that she would be home in a couple of hours. "It's been so long since we've all been under the same roof. When does Parker's flight get in?"

"Ten. Christine gets in at 2:15. They're both very certain that they don't need to be picked up." She restated, obviously reading his mind. Booth rolled his eyes.

"They get that from you."

"Being capable adults was the entire point of raising them, was it not?" Brennan pointed out.

"Yes, but you're supposed to _want _your family to greet you at the airport."

"Says who?" Brennan asked.

"Now you're just pushing my buttons on purpose." Booth knew as he gave her a glare but Brennan was never one to be intimidated, especially by him.

"Come to bed. It's cold up there without you."

"I think you're fully capable of sleeping without me next to you."

"Yes, but I _want _you next to me." She smiled her charm smile coyly. Fully aware that he had been beaten by his own game, Booth sighed and turned off the TV. Brennan beamed.

"Twenty five years and I still never see that play coming." He muttered as he headed up the steps.

"Yes well, for twenty five years, you've been putting up a good fight." She consoled as she followed him up the steps.


End file.
